First laws will be anti-poverty - Berlusconi (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, January 19 - Centre right leader Silvio Berlusconi said Friday the first laws to be passed if they win the March 4 general election will be to create jobs and fight poverty. "The first measures of our government will be the creation of steady jobs, with the decontribution of apprentice and first-time contracts above all for the young and laws that vigorously fight poverty, with the 'dignity wage' for the worst-off and the increase in minimum pensions to 1,00 euros," the three-time ex-premier and media magnate said on Facebook.
    Berlusconi was illustrating the main points of the programme his Forza Italia (FI) party has agreed with the rightwing populist League and the nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
    "United, we win," he said.
    He also said tax reform, with a flat tax at 23%, was an "absolute priority".
    Earlier Friday Berlusconi pledged to scrap car and inheritance taxes if the centre right wins the March 4 general election. "(With the centre right in power) there will be no more taxes of people's primary home, nor on the car, inheritances and donations will not be taxed and we'll eliminate (business tax) IRAP," Berlusconi told one of his Mediaset TV channels. The IMU tax on people's primary homes has already been removed but it remains on second homes and other properties. Berlusconi said a "fundamental point" of the centre right programme he wrapped up with his alliance partners on Thursday was a flat tax of 23% for households and business, adding that the aim is to gradually reduce this further.
    FI is running in an coalition with two rightwing parties, Giorgio Meloni's FdI and Salvini's League, and a group of centrists.
    Berlusconi said that he was happy with the centre-right election programme he signed with his alliance partners on Thursday. "Yes, it's an extremely deep programme," Berlusconi told one of his Mediaset TV channels when asked if he was satisfied. "I started to prepare it myself".