Italy PM Promises to Cut Red Tape

Italy’s coalition government will introduce a raft of structural reforms this autumn, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday, reiterating that the 2019 budget would be “serious, rigorous and also courageous”. In a video posted on Facebook, Conte said his ministers would look to cut bureaucracy and make the battle against poverty a priority. “From September, important challenges await us, ones that are crucial to revive the country and our economy. To do this we are preparing a series of structural reforms fundamental for economic growth and social development,” he said. Among the planned measures was a simplification of rules surrounding the awarding of public works contracts, a new anti-corruption drive and moves to speed up the justice system, which, Conte said, was important for foreign investors. He also promised a reform of the country’s tax code and the introduction of the so-called “citizens wage”, which, when it is fully operational, is meant to ensure income of up to €780 ($891) per month for the poor. He added that his government would “adopt all the measures possible to combat absolute poverty”, which, he said, afflicted more than five million people in Italy.