The Government presents economic measures – “extraordinary and urgent” – to deal with the coronavirus emergency. After decisions about school, university, events, sports and hospitals, during a press conference held at Palazzo Chigi with the Minister of Economy, Roberto Gualtieri, the Premier Giuseppe Conte announces the arrival of “7,5 billion to support families and businesses who are facing this emergency”.
The resources will be included in a new decree law which provides for a deviation of the deficit compared to the previous programmatic balances equal to 0,35 percentage points of GDP. They will be "7,5 billion euros in terms of net balance to be financed: technically they are 6,35 billion in terms of debt", underlined the Minister of Economy.
On Wednesday 11 March, the Chambers will have to approve (by an absolute majority) the authorization for the budget variance. Then the word will pass to the European Union, but Conte announces: "Let's not take a leap in the dark, we can already declare that there is the full sensitivity of the EU commission to understand the emergency we are going through. We do not expect any discrepancy with respect to the EU's attitude”.
"The letter informing the EU of this deviation has already gone out, we are in constant contact and from this point of view there is no problem" confirmed Gualtieri.
On the decree, the minister explained that internally they will be allocated “significant resources and allow us to meet the immediate needs of the emergency", but - he underlined - the provision "does not exhaust the necessary interventions: the government is working to accelerate the release of investments and support for growth"
The new resources will serve to give families, workers and businesses some breathing space. "Measures are envisaged to support a moratorium on corporate credit by the banking system", said the Economy Minister, then going on to list the other measures: "resources for the National Health Service, civil protection and the forces of order, measures that will allow us to support incomes and safeguard employment and strengthen social safety nets" because "no one must lose their job due to the coronavirus".
The Executive has also established the postponement of the referendum on the cut of parliamentarians scheduled for March 29: "The Government has deemed it appropriate to review the decision regarding the date of the referendum which had been set before the health emergency, in order to ensure that all political subjects have an effective electoral campaign and adequate information for citizens ”, said the Minister for Relations with Parliament Federico D'Incà.
"There is no new date yet, it is technically an "indefinite" postponement", said the premier, adding: "I will hear from the committees to make a decision and establish another date" which should be indicated by the next 23 March.
