Bengihan: Traffic Tax Hikes Violate Laws and Constitution

In a written statement, Bengihan stated that the government has implemented increases ranging from 84% to 196% on road tax, vehicle inspection fees, and license fees. He claimed these increases violate Article 4A of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Law (Law 21/1974), which stipulates that traffic fees can only be raised within the annual inflation rate determined by the State Planning Organization.

Bengihan emphasized that the recent inflation rate, as announced by the Statistics Institution, stands at 53.29%, and the implemented hikes breach this threshold. He also pointed to Article 75(3) of the Constitution, which mandates that changes in taxes and fees must remain within the principles and limits set by law. According to Bengihan, the hikes violate the constitutional article concerning "Tax Duty."

"The government, instead of easing access to basic consumer goods for the public, plans to limit the reflection of cost-of-living adjustments in salaries and avoids updating the minimum wage. Meanwhile, it unlawfully increases traffic taxes, further burdening citizens economically," Bengihan stated.

He accused the government of exacerbating economic hardships and ignoring workers' rights through its policies. Bengihan reaffirmed KİEF's commitment to opposing any unlawful practices and vowed to continue fighting for the reversal of the tax increases.