Phase two officially begins. The Monti government today approved the Development bis decree, by Minister Corrado Passera. The text arrived at the Council of Ministers is made up of 38 articles, less than half compared to the 86 of the draft in circulation in mid-September. The main fields of intervention, however, are those foreseen: digital agenda, start-ups, infrastructures, payments with electronic money and motor liability.
BROADBAND, ELECTRONIC COMMERCE AND DIGITIZATION
To complete the "National broadband plan", the decree allocates 150 million in 2013. The government also intends to encourage e-commerce through tax breaks, the extent of which however has not yet been established. Medium-sized companies that want to benefit from it will have to meet two conditions: the transfer operations must take place on international markets through electronic commerce transactions and the payments must guarantee full traceability. Furthermore, as regards the public administration, the electronic identity card will be introduced, provided free of charge to citizens. The electronic health record will also arrive in hospitals and, from 2015, digital prescriptions.
IRPEF DEDUCTION FOR STAR UP
There will be tax incentives for those who invest in the most innovative companies. From 2013 to 2015 it will be possible to deduct from Irpef "an amount of 19% of the amount invested by the taxpayer in the share capital of one or more innovative start-ups directly or through collective investment schemes".
In addition, a special section was established in the guarantee fund for SMEs, with an endowment of 50 million euros, reserved for the granting, free of charge, of guarantees on debt transactions and participation in risk capital in favor of the birth and the consolidation of innovative start-ups”.
The tax incentives for start-ups envisaged by the Development Decree will be financed in part with the Equalization Fund for the electricity sector (intended for efficiency and renewables) and fed by the revenue from electricity and natural gas tariffs. According to the president of the Energy Authority, Guido Bortoni, this provision should not, however, lead to a risk of higher bills. In fact, Bortoni explains that it should only be a "change of destination", because "the fund already existed".
TAX CREDIT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
To encourage the construction of infrastructure, a tax credit is established which can reach a maximum of 50% of the investment. The works will cost more than 500 million and will be carried out through public-private partnership contracts without public grants.
THE MANDATORY ATM POSTED TO 2014, THE THRESHOLD AT 50 EUROS DISAPPEARED
One of the most controversial measures on the table is the one that will make the use of ATMs mandatory for merchants. The farewell to cash is confirmed, but it will take effect from 2014, no longer from next year, as was said until a few days ago. The Executive is taking time to achieve two objectives: to allow all shopkeepers to equip themselves with a Pos (“Point of sale”, the electronic device for payments with electronic money) and to convince banks to lower commissions on this type of transaction.
Furthermore, it remains to be decided what the maximum threshold for cash payments will be, given that the indication of the ceiling at 50 euros has also disappeared from the draft. The new limit will be established through a new provision "by the Minister of Economic Development, in agreement with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, having consulted the Bank of Italy".
RC AUTO, STOP THE SILENT RENEWAL
On the subject of insurance, the government says enough to the tacit renewal for motor liability policies. "The compulsory civil liability insurance contract - reads the draft - cannot be stipulated for a period exceeding one year and cannot be tacitly renewed".
The provisions "also apply to other insurance contracts that may be stipulated in conjunction with the compulsory insurance contract for the resulting civil liability". Furthermore, to avoid misunderstandings, companies will have to communicate to their customers "the loss of effectiveness of the tacit renewal clauses well in advance of the expiry of the term".
