Italy deputy PM Di Maio says government aims at higher deficit to fund growth

FILE PHOTO: Italian Minister of Labor and Industry Luigi Di Maio speaks at the Italian Business Association Confcommercio meeting in Rome, Italy, June 7, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo
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Tony Gentile(Reuters)
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s populist government is considering increasing the deficit of the country to spur growth and make life better for Italians, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Thursday.
“I’m fully aware what it means to increase the deficit and what can happen in the markets and that’s why we won’t hike the deficit to give bonuses but to fund a credible plan for the growth of the country,” Di Maio said in a radio interview.
(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni)