Coronavirus: 3.6 bn govt aid package

(ANSA) - Rome, March 2 - The government is set to approve a 3.6 billion euro economic support package for the coronavirus emergency, Economy Minister Roberto Gulatieri said Monday.
    The package is worth some 0.2% of GDP, he said.
    The measures will be agreed in the comings days with unions and employers, category associations and local bodies, he said.
    The relevant decree will be approved by Friday, Gualtieri said.
    He was optimistic that Brussels would give the go-ahead for the use of this budget flexibility.
    The package follows an initial package of measures for affected zones agreed Friday night.
    The first decree features a six-month suspension of utility bills and trash-collection taxes for the areas hit by the epidemic.
    It is also set to give small and medium-sized enterprises priority access to funding and income-support for workers who are laid off or have their hours cut because of the crisis.
    Furthermore, firms in the coronavirus areas will be able to take a 12-month break from mortgage payments and in some cases it will be possible to request a delay in payment of tax and social-security contributions.
    There will also be a clampdown on attempts to cash in on the crisis with speculative price hikes on products that are in high demand because of the emergency, such as face masks.
    The package has special measures for the tourism sector, which is one of the hardest hit areas of the economy.