DEF to balance budget, growth needs - PM

(ANSA) - Rome, March 27 - Premier Paolo Gentiloni said Monday that his governments upcoming economic blueprint, the new DEF, will strike a balance between the need to improve Italy's public finances and the need to boost growth. "We'll have the presentation of the DEF in parliament within about 15 days and then in September the update statement in view of the budget law," Gentiloni said. "The priorities include safeguarding and reinforcing labour, infrastructure and investment. We must field an economic-policy framework that maintains budget equilibrium and spending rationalization with support for growth".