(see related ISTAT story).
    (ANSA) - Rome, October 7 - The CSC research unit of Italian industrial employers' confederation Confindustria said Monday that Italy is "still on the threshold of zero growth" and "risks falling into recession in the case of new shocks".
    The CSC report said that Italy's growth rate is set to be flat in 2019 and in 2020 if rises value-added tax that are set to kick in next year are not averted.
    It said that the state of the public finances is better than that is reported in the updated version of the government's DEF economic blueprint.
    It called for an effort to bring about a watershed in 2020, proposing the 80-euros a month tax bonus for low earners be extended to people embarking in their first jobs and that the bottom two tax brackets to be brought into line with each other.