Italy considers business reforms

Italian Premier Mario Monti said a package of reforms would give citizens more freedom across the board. The reform measure that will be presented to members of parliament for amendments would affect "all sectors," the premier said. "We are trying to provide Italians more freedom from hidden taxes and fees that are imposed by those in positions of privilege," said Monti. Italian news agency ANSA reported Saturday that the measures include moving taxi regulation from local to national authorities, a move opposed by taxi drivers, as it is intended to allow for more taxis on the road. Several of the measures amount to slashing through red tape, including components of the package that would make it easier to open a pharmacy, empower 2,000 more notaries, and give newsstand operators permission to sell whatever they choose and to shed restrictions on pricing. One of the package's components would make it permissible for gas stations to shop around for gasoline, a move that presumably will help bring down the price of gasoline.