Drills, highways, Ncc, sick olive trees and even uniforms for policemen, but also Web Tax and scrapping ter. There is everything in the Simplifications decree which will arrive in the Senate between Monday and Tuesday. The measure was approved by the Council of Ministers last December 15 amidst general indifference, both because at the time attention was catalysed by the negotiations with Brussels on the Budget law, and because, originally, the text contained just 10 articles. But then something changed.
Since the beginning of 2019, the simplification decree has turned into a sort of thousand extensions at the beginning of the year: a cauldron into which the majority has slipped everything that they were unable to insert into the maneuver or that could come in handy in view of the next electoral appointments (the European elections in May, but also the regional elections in February in Abruzzo, Sardinia, Piedmont and Basilicata ).
Result: 61 pages of amendments have been added e the provision reached a hundred paragraphs. The Budget Commission of Palazzo Madama has already approved the text, which however has yet to be examined by the Chamber. Considering that the expiry date is February 12, it cannot be ruled out that in Montecitorio the Government will choose the path of trust.
In the meantime, however, it has arrived the high point of the Quirinale. According to reports from some news agencies, the Presidency of the Republic has raised some doubts about the new form taken by the provision, which has become more heterogeneous than ever and therefore exposed to risks of inadmissibility from a constitutional point of view. To avoid this danger, the text should be dried or divided into several provisions.
But let's see what are, at the moment, the main innovations contained in the simplification decree.
DRILLS
Il compromise reached between Lega and Movimento 5 Stelle saves existing concessions, but increases the cost of royalties by 25 times. There is also an 18-month moratorium for new research plans, which however can be extended to 24 months if a national plan is not adopted.
MONEY TO COMMONS
300 million is on the way for school safety.
STOP THE STANGATA ON VOLUNTEERING
The simplifications decree corrects the gaffe contained in the maneuver with which the Government had effectively doubled the IRES on non-profit organizations, bringing it back from 24 to 12%.
SCRAPPING TER
Scrapping is reopened for those who have not paid the amount due for 7 by 2018 December 2018, provided that they pay the sums due in a single installment by 31 July 2019 or in 10 installments of the same amount with widely spread deadlines (31 July 2019 , November 30, 2019, February 28, 2020, May 31, 2020, July 31, 2020, November 30, 2021, February 28, 2021, May 31, 2021, July 31, 2021 and November 30, 2021).
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
Public concessionaires, including motorways, obtain a one-year postponement - i.e. to 31 December 2019 - with an exception to the procurement code, the obligation to tender 60% of the works over 150 thousand euros. This is a significant exception to the procurement code.
The government has also included in the decree a rule derogating from the procurement code (article 80, paragraph 5, letter c) which concerns the qualification criteria for participation in tenders. That rule will be the "Trojan horse" that will allow the government to intervene with a package of changes. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the Senate had assigned the examination of the decree, which has rules for very varied areas of competence, to the Public Works commission. The reform operation should be settled with the measures set out in the budget law which allow for the awarding of works, services and supplies of up to 350 thousand euros without a tender. Another provision harshly contested by the Anti-Corruption Authority led by Raffaele Cantone
HYDROELECTRIC CONCESSIONS TO THE REGIONS
The League obtains the possibility of regionalizing the hydroelectric concessions. In particular, this measure is the counterpart requested by Matteo Salvini to give the green light to the tightening on hydrocarbon exploration and the increase in royalties on concessions.
NCC
On the controversy relating to rentals with drivers (backed by the grillini uberists and opposed by the pro-taxi Northern League) an agreement has finally been reached: the NCC will be able to operate within the province without returning to the garage. Which will probably make their fortune, given that many get their license in small towns near large capitals.
COMPETITION FOR POLICE OFFICERS
An amendment changes the requirements for accessing the competition as a police officer in the running: in the announcement there was talk of a minimum age of 30 and a middle school certificate, now 26 years are enough but a higher school certificate is required. A change of course which, according to Matteo Richetti (Pd), is "illegitimate and unconstitutional".
Another amendment allocates two million euros to purchase new uniforms for the police.
WEB TAX
New limits are introduced to the web tax just launched with the budget law. In particular, one amendment provides that digital interfaces whose main purpose is to provide digital content, communication services or payment services will not be considered digital services (and consequently excluded from the scope of the new tax on digital transactions). Investment activities and services such as support for crowdfunding will also remain outside the perimeter.
OLIVE TREES WITH XYLELLA
Owners of olive trees who do not cut down those infested with xylella will risk prison.
