Economy performing better than forecast – Bank of Italy – English

(ANSA) – ROME, APR 20 – Sergio Nicoletti Altimari, the head
of the Bank of Italy’s economy and statistics department, said
Thursday that the Italian economy is doing a little better than
was forecast at the start of the year.
   
“The short-term outlook appears slightly more favourable with
respect to that of our latest projections, which were published
in January,” Nicoletti Altimari told a Senate hearing on the
government’s DEF economic blueprint.
   
He said that, while economic forecasts in the DEF were in the
upper range of what is likely, they were still “coherent” with
reality.
   
Nicoletti Altimari also stressed the importance of “swift and
effective implementation of the reforms and investments” in
Italy’s National Resilience and Recovery Plan (NRRP) for the
economic prospects outlined in the DEF to become reality.
   
Rome is in talks with the European Commission on changes to the
post-COVID plan to make the Italian economy Greener and more
modern, with projects financed thanks to almost 200 billion
euros in EU grants and low-interest loans, given the significant
changes that have taken place since the NRRP was drafted,
especially the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
   
There have been delays in the implementation of some parts of
the plan and European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto said
Tuesday that it will not be possible to do some NRRP projects.
   
(ANSA).