Bills and gasoline: a bill of 14 billion is coming that slows down Italy

The skyrocketing energy costs are putting a severe strain on the Italian economic fabric. According to the latest estimates released by Confesercenti, Italy is facing a potential "hit" of 14 billion euros, a figure that risks suffocating the post-pandemic recovery and nullifying the governmental efforts made so far.

The numbers of the crisis: fuels and bills

The detailed analysis shows an impact almost evenly split between mobility and fixed costs: 6.9 billion euros resulting from fuel price increases (gasoline and diesel); 7.1 billion euros linked to the rise in electricity and gas bills.

This financial pressure would particularly weigh on small and medium-sized enterprises, effectively rendering the benefits introduced by the recent "Bill Decree" futile.

Confesercenti's appeal: "Return the VAT extra revenue"

The president of Confesercenti, Nico Gronchi, has issued a clear warning: while families and businesses are crushed by costs, the State paradoxically benefits from a significant VAT extra revenue precisely due to the price increases.

"This is a dynamic that needs to be corrected immediately," Gronchi stated. "We ask that at least part of these unexpected fiscal resources be returned to the market to mitigate the impact of price increases on consumption and support economic growth."

The repercussions on the entire economy

Confesercenti warns that the risk does not only concern corporate budgets, but the entire country system. If the purchasing power of families decreases due to mandatory expenses (energy and transport), domestic consumption will undergo a drastic contraction, triggering a vicious cycle that could slow down the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) precisely at the crucial phase of recovery.