ROME, Oct 10 Reuters Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti suggested on Tuesday that the government intends to sell stakes in the stateowned railways and motorway network.

Giorgetti was asked by reporters in parliament if Rome39;s plan announced last month to raise 1 of gross domestic product GDP, or 21 billion euros 22.24 billion, from state selloffs over the next three years would include privatising the motorways, highway maintenance and railways.

Flipping around the order might give you the right idea, he replied, suggesting that stakes in these companies would be put on the block, but not in the same chronological order as listed in the question.

Earlier, addressing parliament on the Treasury39;s latest budget framework, Giorgetti said state selloffs would be managed in line with Italy39;s strategic interests.

The privatisation plan is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni39;s efforts to keep in check Italy39;s huge debt pile, proportionally the second largest in the euro zone, while investors keep a close eye on Rome39;s creaking public finances.

However, Italian governments have a long record of missed privatisation targets from before the COVID19 pandemic, which triggered a period of expansionary fiscal policy that has not yet ended.

The Bank of Italy on Monday highlighted that, over the past decade, proceeds from privatisation programmes have averaged less than 0.1 of national output per year.

The country39;s audit court expressed more explicit…