Italy

ITALY - Simply "retouching" the Italian pension system could turn out to be more costly than doing nothing at all, warned Tito Boeri (pictured), director of the Italian think tank Fondazione Rodolfo Debenedetti.

ITALY - New pensions revenue policy should not be discussed before the country's financial status is consistent, said a trade union leader.

ITALY - Italian farmers will be forced to work until they are 80 years old unless their pension system is revised, warned the Italian Confederation of Farmers (CIA) and the National Pensioners's Association (ANP).

ITALY - Lamberto Dini, the author of the 1995 Italian pension reform, has slammed a government proposal to transfer employees' final indemnity payments to the national institute of social welfare (INPS).

ITALY - Mercer Investment Consulting has made the first of "several" appointments with Nicola Carcano joining as head of Mercer IC in Italy, as the firm seeks to tap growing institutional opportunities in the market.

EUROPE - Dutch industry-wide pension fund giant, asset manager and consultancy, Cordares, is targeting the rapidly developing Italian pensions market as part of its expansion plans, Global Pensions can exclusively reveal.

ITALY - The national pensions expenditure is due to rise by 3.1%, to e148.2bn, by the end of the year.

ITALY - The government has confirmed plans to merge its welfare entities in an effort to make the social security system more efficient.

ITALY - The retirement age can be raised as long as the complementary pensions sector is launched immediately, said Pier Paolo Baretta, secretary general, CISL, Italian Confederation of Workers' Trade Unions.

ITALY - Labour minister Cesare Damiano lay to rest rumours that the pension fund regulator (Covip) was due to be dismantled, saying it will continue to carry out its duties.