Italian finance minister argues for short-term boost in public investment
Italy's finance minister said his country's budget plans would put the emphasis on higher levels of public investment, lowering the tax burden on middle-income earners and increasing social protection for the poor.
Speaking at a Bloomberg Forum event in Milan, Giovanni Tria said public investment needed to rise back to at least 3% of Italy' gross domestic product after having fallen by a third in the last years in the short-term, ANSA reported.
On lowering income taxes, Tria reportedly said: "It is necessary to go beyond the (government's proposed) flat tax."
"We are at an advanced stage in a study to reduce the tax burden on the middle class while maintaining a manageable budget".