DISCOUNT FOR THE PRICE OF NATURAL GAS

Ugurtas also talked about the steep decline in oil prices, which have sunk below $20 per barrel, from $65. “While the price of electricity is increasing due to rising costs, why is there no discount in the price of natural gas?” he said. •rganized Industrial Zones receive line prices based on their estimated annual electricity consumption. Although electricity consumption significantly decreased in the last few months, the fixed-line prices are still calculated on estimated consumption. Around 50 percent of companies in the ready-wear sector have closed, over 10,000 employees shifted to shortterm work or took unpaid leave, Ugurtas said, adding that the sector’s employment loss in large part due to energy costs.

Even though the normalization period has officially begun, Ugurtas doesn’t expect a quick recovery. “If the sector recovers at the end of 2020, I’ll take that as a win,” he said.