School books, publishers pressing for deductions
Riva (Aie): 'Measure long overdue for decades, would only cost 0.4 % of the Manoeuvre'
"Giorgio Riva, president of the Educational Group of the Italian Publishers' Association, in Il Sole 24 Ore speaks of 'bitterness' for a measure that was never before expected but which - once again - does not appear in the draft Manoeuvre for next year: the tax deduction for the purchase of school books.
"It seemed that it would finally be introduced," he explains, "but instead this measure is not present in the current draft of the budget law. It is a measure that has been awaited for decades, not only by families but also by us publishers, because it would be consistent with the constitutional principle of the right to study. It is a measure of bipartisan interest, which would benefit all families, with an economic impact for the state that is absolutely contained.
The president of the Aie education group does the maths: 'We are talking about a figure of at most 100 million euro. If the deduction were to be applied up to compulsory schooling or the fifth year, with a family income limit of 70-75 thousand euro, the measure would affect around 90% of Italian families. The remainder, those in absolute poverty, already benefit from a dedicated fund. In practice, it would go from 10% to 90% of the families supported'.
The reference to the Minister of the Economy's words is direct: "When I heard Giorgetti say that the deduction for books is "an ambition that we have not been able to support", I would like to invite him to think again. We are talking about 0.4% of the 18.7 billion manoeuvre. If we cannot find 0.4% to support education, then the ambition is really limited". In this context, Riva does not hide his disappointment even towards a political world that seemed to have moved in harmony: "We had shared the need for the measure with the Minister of Education, who had fully supported and promoted it. I think there was sensitivity on the part of the Ministry of the Economy as well. That is why we are very surprised and disappointed today. But we still hope that Parliament, in a bipartisan perspective, can review the decision".
And yet, insists Riva, the concept of the "right to study" in his view should be better defended with gestures and measures like this: "We have deductions for health, for sport, even for pets. In a civilised country, not having it for textbooks is a shortcoming that needs to be made up for". A measure, insists the president of the Aie educational group, that would not bring direct benefits to publishers: "It is not funds that would reach the sector, but concrete help to families. And yet, supporting families also means reducing the - real - phenomenon of not buying textbooks, which impoverishes the educational path of many children".
