Premier Giorgia Meloni stressed the need to combat the various forms of dumping that give Italian businesses an unfair handicap with respect to competitors from some countries in a video message to managers’ association Federmanager on Wednesday.

“It is necessary to ensure, as much as possible, equal conditions with foreign companies, with the productive systems of other nations, both European and non-European,” she said.

“This means, for example, having the same rules and the same levels of protection in the world of work, aligned tax systems, the same production rules regarding the environment, for example.

“Wage, tax and environmental dumping erect a wall that is called unfair competition, a wall that limits the competitiveness of those who are victims of it”.

On the domestic front, Meloni said her government was “working to overcome the rigidness of our system, freeing Italy’s positive energies.

“We are doing this by building a friendlier tax system, with bureaucracy that is allied to those who create wealth and employment, investing in infrastructure, research and innovation,” she continued.