Meloni govt approves 2 bn-euro flood-emergency package

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 23 - Premier Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday that her cabinet has approved a two-billion-euro decree with emergency measures for the areas of Emilia-Romagna and Marche hit by last week's devastating floods that claimed 14 lives and caused huge damage to the local economy and infrastructure.
    She told a press conference with Emilia-Romagna Governor Stefano Bonaccini that the package offered the "first important answers to the territories affected".
    She said the decree suspends the deadline for tax and social-security-contribution payments in these areas until August 31.
    She said energy authority ARERA had already suspended payments of utility bills in the affected areas.
    She added that there was no need for the decree to suspend mortgage payments for those affected as this measure was already covered by a memorandum of understanding with Italian banking association ABI in the case of "calamitous events".
    Meloni said the package features "a one-off payment of up to 3,000 euros for self-employed workers forced to stop working".
    The premier said the government had allocated 300 million euro in funding to this measure.
    Bonaccini stressed that this package needs to be followed by further measures to aid the reconstruction effort.
    "We need simplification rules for a reconstruction that is done properly, with full respect but also quickly, to restart a region that is in first place (in Italy) in terms of exports or capita.
    "There are billions of euros of damage.
    "There are 300 active landslides, entire forests have come down, there is the problem of the rivers, and there is the issue of roads and infrastructure". (ANSA).