From gas, fuels, alcohol, gambling and tobacco Customs collect 80 billion

The contribution of the Customs and Monopolies Agency to State revenue is 80 billion. It was the director of the Roberto Alesse Customs and Monopolies Agency who, together with the deputy minister for the Economy Maurizio Leo, opened yesterday the second edition of the 'Stati Generali dell'Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli' (Adm), the listening platform created by Alesse himself to meet with operators in the sector and in the supply chains that interact with the Agency.

In 2024 Adm, as mentioned, guaranteed the Treasury more than EUR 80 billion between customs, excise duties and public games. In detail, customs brought in 21.2 billion (84% coming from import VAT, also thanks to the trend in gas prices), excise duties on energy products and alcohol brought in 32.4 billion, while the tobacco sector reached 15.3 billion, the highest value in the last five years. On the public gaming front, revenue stood at 11.6 billion, with 56 per cent coming from amusement machines. On games, the deputy minister of the Economy, Maurizio Leo, recalled that the reform of the sector is underway and the rewriting of the rules for physical gaming will also arrive shortly, while applications for the tenders for online gaming concessions are expected at the end of the month. On the tenders for new concessions, Leo, also recalled the important success achieved in recent days by the government and the Monopolies administration with the tender for the Lotto game, which in fact guaranteed the Treasury more than 2.2 billion against an auction base of one billion. More resources arrived from gaming all 'destined for tax cuts,' the deputy minister stressed.

But 2024 was also the year of sweeping controls. And on the role of Customs in anti-fraud, Alesse opened his speech by recalling that Adm, in full synergy with the Guardia di Finanza, seized almost 8,000 tonnes of goods worth EUR 260 million and imposed penalties of almost EUR 200 million. In the tobacco sector, seizures reached EUR 29 million. Particular attention was also paid to public gaming: 19,000 establishments checked, 721 illegal gaming websites inhibited, an increase of 47% compared to 2023. E-commerce, increasingly central, saw customs declarations grow by 61%, from 54.2 to 87.5 million. Adm stepped up the fight against counterfeiting: more than 2 million pieces seized with a value of approximately 7 million euro. Vigilance against products harmful to health was also strengthened, with particular attention to minors and the vulnerable.

2024 saw Adm strengthen its international projection, becoming a strategic player in the processes of customs cooperation and global economic development. In synergy with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Adm is now one of the Government's operational tools for projects such as the Mattei Plan. The Agency is an active participant in the reform of the European customs system that will lead, by 2026, to the creation of the new EU Customs Authority and the Single Data Hub, the digital centre of customs data in the Union

On the internal front, Adm has started testing the new technological platform in the Emilia-Romagna and Marche directorates, integrating the functions of an increasingly multidisciplinary administration. As Alesse recalled, the Agency has made a strong investment in skills, with targeted recruitment, with experts in artificial intelligence. For the director, 'this is an administration that looks to the future. Only by investing in high-profile skills can we guarantee public action that is up to global challenges'. The States General will continue on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 with three thematic sessions on customs, gaming and excise. The aim is to consolidate Adm's role as a guardian of legality, innovation and protection of the national economy, in an Italy increasingly connected to Europe and the world.