ROME, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The Italian government plans to spend around 1 billion euros ($1.16 billion) to curb energy bills for families and firms, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday, as part
Italy Allocates 1 Billion Euros to Lower Energy Costs, Says PM Meloni
Italy's Energy Price Reduction Strategy
ROME, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The Italian government plans to spend around 1 billion euros ($1.16 billion) to curb energy bills for families and firms, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday, as part of efforts to boost economic growth.
Government Spending on Energy
At her traditional New Year's press conference, Meloni said she would focus on growth and security when outlining her policy plans for 2026.
Economic Growth Expectations
"This government has spent several billion to keep energy prices down. The last decree was six months ago, for about three billion euros, and we are drafting another one to set aside one billion in the coming weeks," Meloni said.
ISTAT Growth Revisions
The prime minister also said statistics bureau ISTAT was underestimating Italian economic growth, adding that she expected an upward revision of GDP data for 2024 and 2025.
ISTAT in September significantly revised up 2023 growth to 1.0% from a previously reported 0.7%.
"I think the same thing could happen for the 2024 and 2025 data," Meloni said.
($1 = 0.8593 euros)
(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni and Giuseppe Fonte, editing by Giulia Segreti and Crispian Balmer)
