Boccia supports Constitutional reforms

(ANSA) - Busto Arsizio, May 30 - Vincenzo Boccia, president of powerful industrial employers' lobby Confindustria, on Monday said that the government's Constitutional reforms, along with institutional and economic reforms, must be brought forward with "courage and determination".
    "Reforms are the key to start the engine of the economy and that's why we must focus on giving our country a coherent infrastructural order," Boccia said.
    He said Confindustria plans to present an industrial policy plan before summer, and that he "appreciated" Industry Minister Carlo Calenda's observation that "we're not where we should and could be" at the organisation's recent General Assembly.
    "Confindustria must be the first to take responsibility for supporting local associations and proposing efficient solutions to the government," Boccia said.
    He said the group would discuss the October referendum on the government's Constitutional reforms at their June 23 general council meeting.
    He was responding to former premier Silvio Berlusconi's recent comment calling Confindustria members "aspiring subjects" because of Boccia's support for the government's reforms.
    "We are of the opinion to never use ungenerous terms against anyone; we expect that others would do the same with us," he said.
    Boccia said he was closely following the procedures in India to blacklist Italy's Finmeccanica aerospace and defence giant and its subsidiaries, calling it "a question of national interest".
    The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported Monday that India is to cancel all its orders with Finmeccanica after its AgustaWestland subsidiary allegedly paid kickbacks to secure a 566-million-euro contract to provide 12 helicopters for the Indian Air Force.