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2009 incentive plan to create TL 22.5 bln in new investments An investment incentive program launched in the second half of 2009 will create new investments worth TL 22.5 billion before the end of 2010, Economy Minister Ali Babacan informed reporters on Monday.	Public institutions set standards for increased productivity In accordance with a recent regulation implemented to simplify and expedite public services, various public institutions have set standards for the time and documents required to perform the services they offer.
Fuel import regime to be eased to boost competition Fuel importing conditions will be eased in a bid to increase price competition in the market by enabling small establishments to import fuel, too, sources from the Energy Market Regulatory Agency (EPDK) have said.	Industrial production continues recovery, though base effect still strong The industrial production index, the benchmark of the performance of Turkish industry, increased by 25.2 percent in December over the same period of 2008 and ended 2009 with a 9.6 percent annual decrease compared to the previous year.

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Consumers oppose limiting operation hours of malls In yet more criticism of a bill regulating the hours of operation of shopping malls, Consumers Association (TÜDER) Chairman Engin Başaran has stated that it’s wrong to legislate against the desires of customers in a sector that has the highest consumer satisfaction level among all sectors in the country.	CIT names ex-Merrill CEO Thain as chairman Former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, who brokered the investment bank’s controversial sale to Bank of America, is taking over as chairman and CEO of CIT Group as the commercial lender continues to restructure its business following a brief stay in bankruptcy protection last year.
Low temperatures spark rise in Mersin produce prices Cold weather across the country has led to an increase in the price of fruits and vegetables by around 30 to 50 percent in the southeastern province of Mersin, a leading produce center.	Ergün: Trade with Saudi Arabia should rise to $10 billion in two years Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergün has said the annual trade volume between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which was $3.5 billion last year, down from $5.5 billion in 2008, should increase to $10 billion in the coming two years, with a medium-term target of $20 billion.

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Court rejects alternative area code application The Council of State has cancelled a projected fixed-line number portability application which foresees to create a new area code for fixed line service users, citing that it would cause confusion in the market.	G7 talk on Greece fails to soothe investors, euro dips The euro and growth-linked currencies fell on Monday as investors unwound risky trades amid growing worries about the eurozone’s debt problems, dismissing assurances from European finance ministers at the weekend.
Turkey to pay 150 percent more, $300 for Azerbaijani natural gas Lengthy negotiations between Turkish and Azerbaijani officials on gas prices have finally come to an end as Turkey has agreed to buy Azerbaijani gas at $300 per thousand cubic meters, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız informed reporters following his meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki last week	Koza to spend TL 900 million from IPO for investments in mining, media The initial public offering (IPO) of Koza Altın, Turkey’s largest gold miner, resulted in more than TL 900 million ($600 million), which is enough to cover possible investments for the company to expand its operations in gold mining and make new additions to its companies in the media business.