ANKARA (ILO News) - The ILO (International Labor Organization) Office for Turkey and Social Security Institution (SSI) have agreed to extend their partnership to jointly support additional 5,570 employees to access social protection through Transition to Formality Programme, also known as KİGEP (Kayıtlı İstihdama Geçiş Programı). The resources to be transferred in this context by the ILO have reached a total of 159 million TRY.

Over the last three years, more than 12,000 employees and 1,927 employers benefited through KİGEP, providing essential support to gain access to formal employment as well as to retain existing employment. With the additional 5,570 beneficiaries, the total of formalized beneficiaries will increase to 16,770 by the end of 2022.

With this extended partnership, ILO Office Turkey and SSI will continue their joint efforts to combat informal employment and promote formal jobs for all. Until the end of 2022, a total of 159 million TRY will be transferred to Turkish labour market and businesses through SSI to help the creation of new formal jobs as well as the retention of existing jobs.

Numan Özcan, Director of the ILO Office for Turkey, emphasized that ILO is pleased to extend the successful partnership with SSI on KİGEP, and added that “Through our programme, over the last three years we have been instrumental in registering and providing social security to 12.000 informal workers. By continuing to work with SSI to reach our common goal towards decent work and social protection for all, we will increase this number to over 16,000 this year.”

KİGEP incentive scheme among other, includes administrative and financial support for employers enabling them to apply for work permits for their Syrian employees while providing support through social security contributions for both Syrian and Turkish employees. KİGEP is implemented across 15 cities through project offices in SSI provincial directorates and using tailored online platforms developed by SSI.

“Access to social security, decent working conditions and formal employment have always been our common target as part of our partnership with ILO Office for Turkey. We are pleased to extend this partnership in KİGEP by expanding the outreach with additional beneficiaries” said Mr. Eşref Başkan, Director General of Strategy Development General Directorate of SSI.

Background

Initiated in 2019, KİGEP is an incentive scheme for employers that formally employ Turkish citizens and Syrian workers. It is implemented by the SSI and the ILO Office for Turkey in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Directorate of International Labour Force (DGILF). It is currently financed by the Federal Republic of Germany through the KfW Development Bank within the project “Promoting Decent Work for Syrians under Temporary Protection and Turkish Citizens”. The U.S Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (USBPRM) provides partial support to the KİGEP through the project on “Decent Work Opportunities for Refugees and Host Communities in Turkey”

For more info please contact:

kfwproject@ilo.org