Work, a decree is not enough
Fifth place in a ranking in which it would be better to be placed in the rear: out of 38 states in the OECD area, the Belpaese has only four in front when it comes to tax levy between income taxes and contributions. Needless to say, nothing to be proud of. And the government, rightly so, tries to intervene. Minister Giorgetti announces 100 euros in paychecks, but the risk is that it is once again a palliative. Sure, somewhere you have to start, but the truth is that without a concrete, heavy, aggressive intervention on tax evasion will leave room for maneuver very narrow.
Let’s imagine that every year we have a hidden tax of around 10% of GDP that goes up in smoke because of the job entrusted to the distant relative on the black market or because “without an invoice, he saves a little bit”. The government has always declared that the best way to avoid the “black” was to lower taxes, making it more advantageous to be in good standing and, at the same time, increasing the penalties for those who fail.
We will see. Time is a gentleman and if the executive – which enjoys one of the largest majorities in recent history – he will be able to keep his promises, we will all have to gain. The fact remains that Italy offers salaries that are lower than the average of the main European countries (Germany and France above all) against a comparable cost of living. In Berlin, for example, the price per square meter of houses in the Dahlem district is just over 7,100 euros, while in Milan, in the centre, and even more so in the Quadrilatero, it easily exceeds 10,000 euros.
What’s more: in Italy we experience the extraordinary double anomaly of 30-49 year olds who see their purchasing power drop over the years and the Millennials who will be the first post-war generation to earn less than their parents. In short, on this day dedicated to work, let us remember that dignity must be restored to the profession. And that lowering taxes is extraordinary but must go hand in hand with an increase in wages and a reduction in tax evasion. Three legs that allow the country, thanks also to European funds and higher than expected growth, to “surprise” its historic competitors Germany and France.
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