Development Agencies are established in order to accelerate regional development, continue sustainability and minimize the development differences between the regions and within the region by constituting cooperation between the private sector and nongovernmental organizations, effectively and correctly using resources and prompting local potential. There are 26 development agencies in our country. Serhat Development Agency (SERKA), which is active in the provinces of Ağrı, Ardahan, Iğdır and Kars, is one of the development agencies established in order to accelerate the local development process and perform critical regional activities. The Agency started its activities in the region after the first staff recruitment was performed in April 2010 and the General Secretary came into office in 2010.

The Board of Directors, which is the decision-making body of the Serhat Development Agency, consists of the Governors and Mayors of the provinces of Ağrı, Ardahan, Iğdır and Kars, Heads of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Heads of the Provincial Council (16 members in total). Governors act as the Head of the Board of Directors alternately for one year.

Ağrı Investment Support Office has started to get into the act in Ağrı province according to the 15th article of the Law nr. 5449 on the Establishment, Coordination and Duties of Development Agengies on 25.01.2006 and 12th Board decision of Serhat Development Agengy on 25.02.2011. On December 10, 2012, Ağrı Investment Support Office was moved to its 200 m2 permanent office which is rented at building of Ağrı Chamber of Commerce and Industry which was opened in July 2012. The present building has a conference hall for 30 people.

Ağrı Investment Support Office is active with 1 coordinator and 1 expert.

The mission of Ağrı Investment Support Office is to introduce the business environment and investment opportunities in Ağrı to domestic and foreign investors and to help entrepreneurs who want to make investment in Ağrı. Ağrı Investment Support Office acts as a bridge between the investors and Ağrı by providing the required technical support.

All services provided by Ağrı Investment Support Office are free of charge.

OFFERED SERVICES:

To inform the investors about the investment opportunities and potential of Ağrı provinceTo give information about sectorsTo help to find investment placeTo help to conduct the legal and bureaucratic proceduresTo give information about incentives to the investorsTo help the investors to have cooperationsTo promote the business and investment opportunities of Ağrı province at national and international level.
OUR DUTIES:

Investment Support Offices has a duty to “centrally follow up and coordinate the permission and license works which are under the power and duty of the investors and the state institutions and organizations in the provinces of the region, and other administrative works and procedures within the term stated in the related regulation” because it is among the duties and authorities stated in the 5th article of Law nr. 5449 on the establishment, coordination and duties of the development agencies.

The duties and powers of the investment support offices are specified in the 16th article of the same law:

a) To centrally follow up and coordinate the permission and license works on behalf of the board of directors which are under the scope of duty and power of the private investors and the state institutions and organizations of the provinces in the region with in the term specified in the regulation about the license works and other administrative works and if the term is not specified in the related regulation, to finalize them primarily and urgently, and to monitor the investments.

b) To inform and guide the investor in accordance with the application conditions and the required documents in the relevant regulation.

c) To make a preliminary survey of the applicationsd) To carry out the procedures specified in the arrangements to be made according to the 4th Article.

e) To inform the governorship and the general secretariat about the businesses and operationsAIMS AND OBJECTIVESTo investigate the investment opportunities of Ağrı Province, to create a data bank and to keep it up to dateTo establish a data base with basic information that will affect the investment decisionTo Prepare Annual Reports on Prominent Sectors in Ağrı To prepare reports about the infrastructure issues which prevents the investment environment in AğrıTo create Ağrı reports with the general economic bulletins and figuresTo effectively promote Ağrı Province and investment opportunities

To Create Promotion Sets and Sector Presentations for Business Focuses with Domestic and Foreign CompaniesTo make contributions to the Investment Environment by Representing Ağrı Province in National and International OrganizationsTo attract the investors to Ağrı Province within the framework of the analysis of possible investorsTo determine the Target Investors and Business GroupsTo get contact with the Target Investors and Share Investment Opportunities in Exhibitions and Organizations Where You Participateto practice the investment follow up and work angels practices in Ağrı Investment SiteTo support the partnership between the companiesTo Support the Investors Before and After Investment

To Follow-up and Coordinate the Permits, Licenses, Work and Transactions of the InvestorsTo Inform and Guide the Investors about the Supports and IncentivesTo Increase the Capacities and Entrepreneurship of the Businesses to Increase the Competitiveness Power of AğrıTo Conduct Works in Order to Increase the Management Capacities of BusinessesTo Perform the Works in Order to Increase the Entrepreneurship Capacity in AğrıTo Perform the Works in Order to Increase the Export Capacities of BusinessesTo Perform the Works to Increase the Capacities of Other State Institutions and Organizations in Ağrı Province

To Regularly Visit the State Institutions and Organizations and Improve the CooperationTo Make the Related State Institutions and Organizations Benefit from the Incentives and SupportsTo Make the Related Institutes Work with Foreign Institutes