Govt will revoke concession - Di Maio

(ANSA) - Rome, August 17 - Deputy Premier and Labour and Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio on Friday denied reports that the government was reconsidering its decision to revoke the concession of highways company Autostrade per l'Italia after this week's bridge-collapse disaster in Genoa. "I say this loud and clear - the political will is there. We want to revoke the concession of Autostrade per l'Italia," said Di Maio, the leader of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S).
    "You cannot keep pretending that nothing has happened.
    "These people continue to have the toll paid without doing ordinary and extraordinary maintenance and it's time to say no more.
    "They wrote that the government is holding back. That's false.
    "The government is accelerating and it will revoke the concessions". Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Friday that the government's decision on revoking the concession of Autostrade per l'Italia will not be influenced by any aid the highways company offers to the victims of this week's Genoa bridge-collapse disaster.
    "We're not at the market," Salvini told Mediaset television when asked if funds and aid could lead to a rethink in the government's decision to revoke the concession.
    "People are dead. If it does what I have said it should do, Autostrade will have done the minimum to compensate the Italian people.
    "But we are not going to bargain when faced with this tragedy.
    "I'm not after vendetta, but the government's attitude will be rigorous".