Berlusconi pledges to refund property taxes if elected February 3, 2013 - 18:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Media mogul, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is promising Italians if they vote him back into office that he will not only abolish an unpopular tax on primary residences, but he'll refund property taxes Premier Mario Monti's government made them pay in 2012, The Associated Press reports. Berlusconi abolished the tax when last elected premier in 2008, but Monti, who replaced him in 2011 as Italy sunk into the Eurozone debt crisis, revived it to help fill state coffers. Berlusconi told a gathering of supporters Sunday, Feb 3, the revenue lost by reimbursing homeowners the €4 billion ($5.4 billion) they paid in property taxes could be compensated by eliminating state financing for political parties, raising cigarette taxes and taxing Italians' assets in Switzerland. The populist's center-right forces trail a center-left coalition in opinion polls ahead of Feb. 24-25 elections. Partner news  Top stories U.S. officials say they want to advance efforts to start talks between the Syrian government and opposition leaders. The international conference, backed by Russia and the U.S., aims to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria. Nuland, a career foreign service officer who was until recently State's top spokesperson, was expected to be nominated the post. Alkhatib said Assad should respond within 20 days and that he should then be given a month to dissolve parliament.   Partner news |  Latest news Van Rompuy: youth unemployment pressing issue for EU  Social unrest is rumbling and research has warned of "lost generations" of unemployed people and their children.12 killed as explosives accidentally denote in Afghan mosque Four civilians and eight militants died in the blast during evening prayers the night before in Ghazni province's district of Andar.Powell says military should run drone strikes The CIA has targeted alleged terrorists in places that aren’t overt war zones, such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.220 ceasefire violations by Azeri armed forces reported May 19-25 Azerbaijan fired over 1000 shots from various caliber weapons towards Karabakh positions, NKR defense army’s press service said. |
