Good morning everyone.

I wish to greet Patrizia De Luise, and thank her for this invitation. I am very sorry that I am unable to be there in person with you at the 2022 meeting of ‘Confesercenti’, but I nevertheless wanted to send you my greetings and my contribution. 

My greetings and, of course, thanks also go to the Government representatives who will be attending today’s meeting – I know Vice-President Salvini and Ministers Urso, Calderone and Santanché will be there – but, above all, I wish to say a big hello to all delegates present. My message is mainly addressed to them, because there are over 350 thousand small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Italy’s commerce, tourism, service and craft industries, representing an irreplaceable part of our productive fabric that this Government intends to defend and enhance. This is also true from a cultural and social point of view, because your businesses keep our country alive, from the smallest towns to the largest cities. Every raised shutter is a sign of vitality, of know-how, of richness. Your widespread presence throughout Italy represents the backbone of our local economies.

This is an intangible yet very real ‘heritage’ that institutions at all levels have the duty to preserve and enhance; such a heritage can either create additional wealth or it can be squandered. This Government has opted for the former, and has indeed intervened immediately to safeguard this heritage against the biggest emergency we are facing – expensive bills. We first earmarked EUR 9 billion with the ‘Aiuti-quater’ decree and then freed up an additional EUR 21 billion in resources with the budget law (two thirds of the entire budget). We have done this because we made a commitment with Italians, and that commitment was to safeguard this nation’s productive fabric. We said this was a priority and we have worked on that priority. We have adopted many measures overall: the tax credit for the purchase of electricity and natural gas has been extended and increased, up from 40% to 45% for energy-intensive companies and from 30% to 35% for non-energy-intensive companies; there is the possibility for companies to ask to pay bill amounts in instalments; the 5% VAT rate on gas has been extended until March 2023; and, the regulation on extra-profits has been rewritten, which will allow us to collect approximately EUR 2.5 billion. All this, of course, at the same time as taking our first step towards energy security: we have unblocked a number of concessions for the exploration and extraction of gas in our seas – so, Italian gas – and, in exchange, we have asked the companies benefitting from this concession to immediately guarantee that 75% of the gas they expect to extract will be offered to Italian companies at special prices. In order to fund all these measures, the Government has obviously had to make considerable efforts, unfortunately leaving little room for manoeuvre on other fronts. Yet we have nevertheless given an idea of our priorities, an idea of the nation we have in mind. 

We want a nation where the state is an ally of companies, not an adversary or enemy. We want a nation where the state does not create obstacles and hinder those who want to get things done, but rather puts enterprises and workers in a position to be able to work and create wealth. At this time, we thought it right to acknowledge the value of those who roll up their sleeves and work hard: the threshold for the 15% flat tax for self-employed workers has been increased to EUR 85 thousand in turnover, up from the previous EUR 65 thousand in turnover; there is an incremental flat tax for self-employed people with a VAT number whose turnover has increased compared with the maximum reached in the previous three years - for increases in turnover of up to EUR 40 thousand, a 15% flat tax will be applied to the increase, reduced by an amount equal to 5% of the maximum declared in the three-year period. We have also halved the tax rate for productivity bonuses of up to EUR 3 thousand, from 10% to 5%, and have confirmed the 2% tax wedge cut for incomes of up to EUR 35 thousand, as well as increasing the tax wedge cut to 3% for incomes of up to EUR 20 thousand. There has been much discussion about this point; many have said that the Government should have done more. This is precisely what we want to do: more. In this budget, we have confirmed the existing measure and extended it by a percentage point for the lowest incomes, as this is what the available resources have allowed us to do for now. However, our objective, our objective for this legislature, is to reach a tax wedge cut of five percentage points for incomes of up to EUR 35 thousand, a third of which regarding companies and two thirds workers. I once again confirm, before all of you here today, that this is our objective.

The state that we have in mind is an ally of businesses and workers, but is also a friend to families and citizens. This is why we have included a package of regulations in the budget which we have called the “tax truce”. Many things have been said and written also about this choice, but the truth is much simpler than what is often told. There are no amnesties, no cancelling things out; the budget simply has common-sense regulations that are advantageous for the state and for households and businesses. Tax demands of less than EUR 1 thousand that were issued before 2015 will be cancelled, simply because it would cost more to collect them than the amounts themselves. All other tax demands must be paid, with a small surcharge. There will be more possibility to pay in instalments, but everyone must pay what they owe. In this way, we can help many households and many businesses get back on track, let’s put it like that, especially the smaller ones, that are most in distress. As you can see, these proposals are based on common sense and focus on the real economy. This is also the case for the regulation to combat tax evasion and unfair competition by ‘open and close’ businesses, i.e., businesses that open, don’t pay a single euro to the state and then disappear before the state can manage to carry out any inspections, and then start all over again. It is estimated that this problem, which previous governments never wanted to address and solve, causes billions of euros in tax evasion.  We have provided for a mechanism of checks whereby, if something doesn’t add up, the owners of the business in question may be summoned and, should the anomaly be confirmed, their VAT numbers can be shut down, after which, if they want to reopen a VAT number, they will have to provide a surety guaranteeing the payment of future taxes.

This regulation combats the unfair competition practices that have too often been carried out by some to the detriment of entrepreneurs who instead respect the rules, because we want a nation where the principle of legality applies to everyone. Supporting the real economy also involves increasing the limit on cash payments, from EUR 1 thousand to EUR 5 thousand, and the possibility to only impose the obligation to accept electronic payments for payments above a certain amount. These are two choices that were important to this Government and we have made them.

We are, of course, at the beginning of our work, but the road ahead is mapped out: we want the Government to be a ‘home for enterprises and Made in Italy’. You are the most authentic representatives of ‘Made in Italy’; everyone wants to buy Italian products, but they also want to come to our country to enjoy the unique Italian experience, the warm hospitality that only we can provide – in our big cities and characteristic villages alike. You are custodians of the real ‘Made in Italy’, which is not only about quality products, but can also be found in this culture of getting things done, of facing challenges, of creating things, of being proactive and reacting in the face of difficulty. This approach is what unleashes Italian creative genius, and this genius must be freed, not suffocated and restricted by bureaucracy. ‘Made in Italy’ refers to things produced, constructed in Italy, but the initial letters of that word sometimes get mixed up and things get obstructed in Italy. According to World Economic Forum figures, the degree of administrative complexity faced by Italian companies is far superior than that of our competitors. The cost of complying with bureaucratic requirements, getting all the permissions and completing all the necessary procedures, is estimated at around EUR 60 billion per year.

Things need to be turned around, which is why we are making the ‘ombudsman for enterprises’ measure operational. This department within the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy removes obstacles for those wanting to invest, taking over authorisation procedures should there be any non-fulfilment by the national administrations in charge. We believe this stimulus will be fundamental for both national and foreign investment; a measure for administrations to be the allies of enterprises.

I shall conclude by saying that we therefore have a lot of work ahead of us, and the challenges are just as momentous. We will only manage to tackle them if, together, we all roll up our sleeves and apply to our efforts the same meticulousness, the same dedication and the same passion that have always characterised your work. 

Thank you and I wish you all the best with your work.

[Courtesy translation]