ITALY- The Italian Welfare ministry confirmed today that minister Roberto Maroni is to present the final draft of the pension reform bill to the senate tomorrow.

The presentation, initially scheduled for Tuesday, “is to be tomorrow”, confirmed the head press officer at the ministry in an interview.

The delay is reported to have been caused by the minister’s previous engagements. Maroni, the Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore said, wished to personally present the draft to the Senate committee, called “Commissione Lavoro”.

In the run up to the official introduction, politicians of the governing coalition, Casa della Liberta’, expressed themselves on the reform in different terms.

Ex- general secretary of Cisl Union, Sergio D’Antoni, who acts now as under secretary of the UdC, Unione dei democreatici cristiani e democratici di centro, said the pensions chapter was “ not at all closed.”

According to D’Antoni the implementation of the reform should be gradual.

Rather than pushing up the pension age to 65 from 2008, he would be in favour of allowing in 2006 the retirement of workers, whose age and years of accrued contributions add up to 93, an option called “ratio 93”.

In 2008 the necessary ratio should go up to 94, growing to 95 in 2010 and 96 in 2012.

This gradual change of the pension age, which today is set for 57 years with 35 years of contributions, “ratio 92”, would meet “ the government and the workers’ needs”, D’Antoni was reported to have said.

“ Having listened to the unions, I agree with Maroni when he says the reform has been achieved. Now it is a question of having it approved by the parliament”, deputy prime minister, Gianfranco Fini, said.

Fini, who is also the leader of Alleanza Nazionale, AN, also said: “ I think the debate in parliament might lead to suggestions that the Government should consider.”

According to Welfare’s under secretary, Alberto Brambilla, a member Maroni’s party, Lega Nord, the term “reform “ would not be accurate, since the government and the unions only focused on the issue of pension age.