(see related Istat story) The government has put Italy's public finances back on a path of "responsibility" after their sustainability was imperiled by the Superbonus scheme to encourage renovation work to make buildings more energy efficient, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Friday.
He was commenting on economic data released by Istat which, among other things, said Italy's deficit-to-GDP ratio for 2023 was 7.2%, higher than the estimate of 5.3% given in the government's Nadef economic blueprint.
The super bonus was introduced by the government of ex-premier Giuseppe Conte, now the leader of the opposition 5-Star Movement (M5S), in 2020.
Premier Giorgia Meloni has blasted the measure, saying it has left "a hole of 140 billion euro" in the State coffers, whileGiorgetti has also been vocal in his criticism of the fiscal impact of the bonus and the way it has limited government relief for budgetary expansion.
"The numbers tell us that the haemorrhaging caused by their responsible season of the Superbonus had a severe impact on (the public finances in) 2023, unfortunately going beyond the already pessimistic outlook," Giorgetti said.
"It was not easy to end that season, but with its closure, the public finances have embarked on a path of reasonable, sustainability from 2024 onward".
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