Berlusconi to quit politics if he can't fulfill pledges

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, April 03, 2004

Berlusconi to quit politics if he can't fulfill pledges

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on April 2 that he would give up politics if he is unable to fulfill an election pledge to sharply reduce taxes for everyone.

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Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Friday that he would give up politics if he is unable to fulfill an election pledge to sharply reduce taxes for everyone.

He told a TV news show that he plans to discuss his plan duringone of the cabinet meetings scheduled this month and to include the measure in the draft budget bill which the government will present to parliament in the fall.

"The tax reductions will take place starting in the 2005 fiscalyear," Berlusconi said.

He stressed that the reductions would be achieved "without slashing spending on security, health, and education."

Berlusconi said he was certain voters would return him to the premier's office for another five-year term in 2006.

Berlusconi, a billionaire media mogul and the country's richestman, came to power in May 2001 on a pledge of "lower taxes for everyone."

During the weekend his renewed promise to slash the personal income tax ceiling from 46 percent to 33 percent raised eyebrows even among his coalition partners.

Italian Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti meanwhile told a TV news show that bringing down the top tax rate would reduce evasionbut stressed there would be no reductions in health, pensions or wages.

Source: Xinhua

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