Italian ministers asked to post salaries, assets online
Reuters July 7, 2013, 5:00 am
Italy's Prime Minister Enrico Letta looks on as he stands in the courtyard of Chigi Palace in Rome July 4, 2013. REUTERS/Tony Gentile
ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta's office said on Saturday it had asked all the ministers in his cabinet as well as junior government officials to declare their salaries and assets online in an effort to boost transparency.
It said in a statement that ministers, deputy ministers and undersecretaries in the left-right coalition government should publish their income and benefits related to their public administration roles as well as other assignments.
The former government of Mario Monti made a similar move last year while it was stepping up efforts to fight tax evasion. Those figures attracted so many visitors to the government's site that it crashed temporarily.
Former Justice Minister Paola Severino come out on top of Monti's government, declaring a salary of more than 7 million euros ($8.98 million) for her work as a lawyer in 2010.
(Reporting By Catherine Hornby)
