Unrealistic. This is how Economy Minister Fabrizio Saccomanni described the Confindustria-trade unions pact to face the challenges of growth. The agreement, he said speaking from the Cernobbio workshop, "goes in the hoped-for direction" of increasing the size of companies and facilitating their competition on international markets, but is paid for by public spending without envisaging a large crowd of industrialists and workers . "If you read in watermark", the joint program of Confindustria and trade unions" shows a very high expenditure bill and immediately charged to the state budget with little realism", said Saccomanni explaining that he is "scarce on what the contribution that the business system and trade union forces can make” to the revitalization of the national economy and the country system. According to Treasury sources, however, this is not a rejection. Enrico Letta, who intervened after him, thus wanted to adjust the shot: "I welcome the Confindustria-trade unions agreement - he said - it is an important and positive fact that the social partners work to counter tensions and for social peace".
2014 FULLY POSITIVE
On the prospects for the economy, Saccomanni reiterated his expectations for a growth in 2014. “I don't make forecasts, I collect data that come from the real economy, I think there is a shared consensus that there will be a stabilization of the economy in the third quarter and growth in the fourth. And a wholly positive 2014”, he reiterated, explaining the next steps to relaunch the economy. Which will also pass through an “improving international framework, there is ever greater consensus to promote growth, employment and the fight against tax evasion. All this will also serve at the national level "to carry on the goals we are setting ourselves".
Saccomanni recalls that the six decrees passed so far by the government "are an anti-cyclical maneuver that is worth 2 points of GDP" and that "the total of interventions made amounts to around 7 billion, of which 4 with new revenues and 3 with the reduction and remodulation of expenses". With the Imu decree and the employment measures, resources for another 3 billion were then recovered, of which 2 new revenues and 1 with spending cuts. "These maneuvers are at the basis of the positive signs of recovery that have been seen in recent months," said Saccomanni.
A TASK FORCE FOR THE SPENDING REVIEW
If the consolidation of public finances and compliance with the GDP deficit ratio below 3% remain fundamental, the coming months will be dedicated to giving strong signals on Italy's great challenges. Starting with the stability law which is an opportunity to relaunch the strategic objectives of the government and to take into account the recommendations of the EU. It is necessary to accelerate structural reforms to strengthen the competitiveness and productivity of the system whose delay is attributable to the lack of investment both in terms of technological innovation and human capital. The government initiative will be based on three pillars. “The first point concerns the spending review. The Government intends to appoint an extraordinary commissioner whose purpose is to implement a mechanism for controlling public expenditure. The government will make important resources available from the Ministry of Economy and State Accounting: on these resources we intend to work with Bank of Italy, Istat and the Court of Auditors. You are not doing anyone any favors by making them believe that there is a large gap that can cut figures of significant amounts overnight. It is a tiring job that must be carried out with determination and detail. We believe that the work that can be done by the commissioner will be necessary to have significant spending cuts”, concluded Saccomanni.
THE REVIEW OF TAX BENEFITS AND THE USE OF EUROPEAN FUNDS
Then there is the tax reform chapter, now under discussion in Parliament which should obtain the final go-ahead by September. We will then have to work on the delegated decrees. The objectives are a predictable, light tax system that reduces the taxation of work and businesses, the fight against tax evasion and a review of tax breaks. It is a "very large reality, all the result of important individual provisions of law, which cannot be deactivated with a stroke of the pen", explained Saccomanni in this regard. We need to "act systematically and identify the tax breaks, perhaps introduced decades ago, and see if they are still necessary and implement the necessary corrections in the budget laws". Finally, we need to improve the use of European funds where Italy is one of the least active countries. Obviously, the need to do more on the labor market, justice reform and the need to attack public debt through the divestment program that the government has already announced in international fora such as the G20 remain in the spotlight. “I believe it is a set of initiatives that will make the country more attractive to foreign investors”.
