Premier Matteo Renzi said Tuesday
that his government intends to bring in a tax rate of 24% on
profits in 2017, to go with the combined reduction in the IRAP
and IRES business taxes.
Renzi told diplomats that said he intends to cut taxes by
50 billion euros over five years, including measures from 2014
that included a cut to the IRAP regional business tax.
He said that means his country will no longer be a high-tax
nation.
"Italy has set in motion....a package of tax reduction
measures...financed by the stability that has returned to Italy.
"This, we intend to invest to demonstrate that Italy is no
longer the country of taxes," said Renzi.
The plan also includes last year's 80-euro monthly bonus,
worth about 10 million euros, for Italy's lowest income earners
and the five-billion euro reduction to the IRAP.
Still ahead, Renzi said he intends next year to abolish two
hated property taxes and in 2017 and 2018 continue personal
income tax reductions.
Meanwhile, Renzi told diplomats during their conference
that he hoped Italy would succeed in its bid to gain a rotating
seat at the UN Security Council in 2017-2018, and lobbied them
for support.
"I hope that next year we are celebrating...our election to
the UN Security Council," he said.
"It would be very positive, but we are not there yet".
Renzi added that he hoped the ambassadors at the event
"will feel this is a top priority".
After all, said Renzi, Italy is a cultural "superpower" but
its strengths are often overlooked in internal political debate.
And he warned the conference of ambassadors that Europe
lives with "daily attacks" on its values and threats against it
community from terrorists.
But that does not mean the fight against terrorism is a
"clash of civilizations," added Renzi.
Europe must also recognize that the Mediterranean must be
at "the heart of European politics" and if Italian politicians
have not made that clear to all of Europe, they must try harder.
He added that Italy has "extraordinary strengths" that
attract visitors, but its politicians waste too much time
"whining" and this often "tends to overshadow" the country's
strengths.
Renzi said he was attempting to build on these strengths
with a series of reforms.
In fact, he said, Italy is now witnessing "a period of
reforms that is unprecedented in the history of the country".
He added: "there has never been...a period of reform so
intense and deep as the one that Italy is living in today".
"Italy will be "the leader in Europe and the world in 20 to
30 years," added the premier.
"I think that Italy has an extraordinary future".
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