Italy to save 3 bln euros on new welfare programmes - official

The Italian government will spend around 3 billion euros ($3.36 billion) less than expected this year on new pension and citizens' income programmes, National Pension Agency chief Pasquale Tridico said on Tuesday.

The ruling League and 5-Star parties aim to use budget savings to persuade the European Commission not to take disciplinary action against Rome for excessive debt.

Tridico told a news conference that the government would save around 1 billion euros on the citizens' income and around 2 billion on the new pension scheme.