ROME: Italy’s government approved a draft 2020 budget in the early hours of Wednesday that aims to cut taxes for middle-earners and crack down on tax evaders, while holding the deficit at the same level as this year, government officials said.
The package was agreed at a cabinet meeting of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and its center-left coalition partner the Democratic Party. It will now be sent to Brussels for scrutiny by the European Commission.
The budget scraps a hefty increase in sales tax worth 23 billion euros ($25.35 billion) which had been scheduled to take effect in January, but which the coalition feared would push Italy’s already-stagnant economy into recession.
However, since setting the economic targets that provide the framework for the budget in September, the ruling parties have struggled to agree on many of the measures to adopt.
Full details of all the agreed measures were not immediately available, but a final version of the text seen by Reuters ahead of the late night cabinet meeting showed the government planned income tax cuts for middle-earners. The reduction will cost state coffers some 3 billion euros in 2020.
The financial bill targets the 2020 deficit to remain at 2.2% of gross domestic product for a third consecutive year.
Deputy Economy Minister Laura Castelli, from the 5-Star Movement, said in a statement on Tuesday that the lengthy negotiations with the PD had yielded “an expansionary budget” that will increase benefits for poor families and the disabled.
To help finance these measures, the government has put together a raft of measures to curb rampant tax evasion which costs the state some 109 billion euros every year, according to Treasury estimates.
The budget must be presented to parliament by Oct. 20 and approved in both houses by the end of this year.
It remains to be seen whether it will be rubber-stamped by the European Commission.
The package targets the structural deficit — which strips out the effects of economic growth fluctuations — to rise by 0.1% of GDP next year, reversing a commitment made in July to reduce it by 0.6 points.
The anti-tax-evasion plan, targeted to raise an ambitious 7 billion euros, aims to encourage the use of easily traced credit and debit cards rather than opaque cash transactions.
The budget draft seen by Reuters introduces sanctions of up to 2,000 euros for retailers and service providers that do not accept credit cards. It lowers to 2,000 euros from 3,000 the threshold above which it is illegal to make cash transactions. The amount is expected to be further pushed down to 1,000 euros from 2022.
To encourage people to ask retailers for receipts, the budget also launches lotteries in which holders of the winning receipts, identified with a number, get a tax-free cash prize.
These “receipt lotteries” have already been adopted in several countries including Portugal, Slovakia and Malta.
A new “web-tax” on digital companies aims to raise around 600 million euros each year, the draft showed.
The levy, applied on companies with annual global revenues worth at least 750 million euros and digital services exceeding 5.5 million euros in Italy, obliges them to pay a 3% levy on Internet transactions conducted in Italy.
Italy cabinet approves 2020 budget that cuts taxes, cracks down on evaders
Italy cabinet approves 2020 budget that cuts taxes, cracks down on evaders
- Italian budget draft to be submitted to Brussels
- Budget drops previous commitment to reduce deficit
Saudi ports brace for cargo surge as shipping lines reroute
RIYADH: Preliminary estimates suggest that several global shipping lines could reroute part of their operations to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, potentially adding 250,000 containers and 70,000 vehicles per month, according to Rayan Qutub, head of the Logistics Council at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, in an interview with Al-Eqtisadiah.
“Any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz not only affects maritime traffic in the Arabian Gulf but could also reshape global trade routes,” Qutub said, highlighting the strait’s status as one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints for energy and goods transport.
With rising regional tensions, international shipping companies are reassessing their routes, adjusting shipping lines, or exploring alternative sea lanes. This signals that the current challenges extend beyond the Arabian Gulf, impacting the global supply chain as a whole.
Limited impact on US, European shipments
The effects of these developments will not be uniform across trade routes. Qutub noted that goods from China and India, which rely heavily on routes through the Arabian Gulf, are most vulnerable to disruption. In contrast, shipments from Europe and the US typically traverse western maritime routes via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, making them less susceptible to regional disturbances.
Saudi Arabia’s strategic location, he emphasized, strengthens the resilience of regional trade. The Kingdom operates an integrated network of Red Sea ports — including Jeddah, Rabigh, Yanbu, and Neom — that have benefited from substantial infrastructure upgrades and technological enhancements in recent years, boosting their capacity to absorb increased cargo volumes.
Red Sea bookings
Several major carriers, including MSC, CMA CGM, and Maersk, have already opened bookings to Saudi Red Sea ports, signaling a shift in operational focus to these strategically positioned hubs.
However, Qutub warned that rerouted shipments could increase sailing times. Cargo from Asia, which normally takes 30-45 days, might now require longer voyages via the Cape of Good Hope and the Mediterranean, potentially extending transit to 60-75 days in some cases.
These changes are also reflected in rising shipping costs, driven by longer routes, higher fuel consumption, and increased insurance premiums — a typical response when global trade patterns shift due to geopolitical pressures.
Qutub emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s transport and logistics sector is managing these developments through coordinated government oversight. The Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the Logistics National Committee, and the Logistics Partnership Council recently convened to evaluate the impact on trade and supply chains. Regular weekly meetings have been established to monitor developments and implement solutions to safeguard the stability of supplies and continuity of trade.
He noted that the Kingdom’s logistical readiness is the result of long-term strategic investments, encompassing ports, airports, road networks, rail systems, and logistics zones. Today, Saudi logistics integrates maritime, land, rail, and air transport, enabling a resilient response to global disruptions.
Qutub also highlighted the need for the private sector to continuously review logistics and crisis management strategies, develop alternative plans, and manage strategic stockpiles. Such measures are essential to mitigate temporary fluctuations in global trade and ensure smooth supply chain operations.
