Italians asked to suggest cost cuts online

Italy’s government unveiled a new section on its website, asking citizens to suggest ways to cut administrative costs in a drive to trim 4.2 billion euros this year alone.

“With ‘Express Your Opinion’ all citizens can now make suggestions, highlight waste and help the technocrats complete their analysis and research into useless spending,” a statement on the governo.it website said.

Contributors will have leave their contact details on the suggestions.

Prime Minister Mario Monti, who had already pushed through a strict programme of austerity budget cuts in December, said the “spending review” of ministerial costs would aim to “eliminate waste and obtain resources for growth.”

Some of the possible cuts mentioned in Italian newspapers in recent days could include regional spending, public sector energy bills, conference and trip costs by government officials and cutting down on unused offices.

On Monday, the government appointed the widely admired Enrico Bondi, who administered dairy giant Parmalat when the company went bankrupt and brought it back to commercial success, as a new agent in charge of the cuts.

The government estimates the review will allow a reduction of 80 billion euros in costs in the short-term and 295 billion euros in the medium-term.

It says the cuts could allow it to avoid increasing value-added tax by two percentage points to 23 percent as expected later this year.

The increase was approved as part of the December austerity package but government officials now fear that it could deepen Italy’s recession.