schema:articleBody
| - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte pledged on Monday to remove structural and bureaucratic barriers to Italy's progress, saying the recent coronavirus crisis would be "an accelerator" of needed changes. On the second day of the prime minister's general assembly on the post-coronavirus economic recovery, Conte described "a courageous shared project that will enable Italy to get back on its feet, removing the obstacles that have held it back in recent years." "We cannot get out of this crisis without a clear project for the future of the country," he told representatives from Italy's main trade unions. "The pandemic will be a further accelerator of these changes and will also have an effect on the world of work that go beyond the short-term." The outlines of the plan for Europe's third-largest economy target entrenched structural problems that economists say have put the brakes on the country's progress for decades. They include its burdensome public bureaucracy, subpar infrastructure including slow adoption of digital technology, and widespread tax evasion. Nine priority areas include the green economy, investment in research and training,the modernisation of Italy's slow judicial processes, and more support for the key industries of tourism, autos and food. Rome is expected to receive some 172 billion euros ($194 billion) from the 750 billion euros recovery plan agreed by the European Commission in May. With Italy's GDP expected to drop at least by 8.3 percent this year, the country's main employers' organisation has sounded the alarm, calling for serious reforms and a plan to help businesses facing potential bankruptcy. "We will see the difficulties especially in the autumn and in 2021," said Confindustria President Carlo Bonomi at a video conference with reporters. ljm/ams/rl
|