Investor Visa Italy Investor Visa Italy / 3 | Page 9

POINTS OF VIEW
commercial or economic agreements with other countries, in a frame-
work of greater Italian international integration?
As I have already mentioned, China and the United States are just the first two
pieces of a mosaic that sees Italy as a protagonist in the global market. In the
past, left or right governments may have operated according to a “friend or foe”
logic, but now such reasoning will no longer be valid. I am constantly in contact
with the ICE, which is at the centre of this commercial expansion project due
to their great expertise, built over decades of activity, on the subject of interna-
tionalization. The revitalization of the Institute’s role is central to our commercial
expansion policy. This government builds bridges, not walls or barriers.
What do you think will be the parliamentary road map of the bill? Are
you expecting short-term developments or the matter – albeit very
technical and circumscribed, still related to a controversial area such as
immigration – could it bring the discussion to strike some strictly
political chords?
Once assigned to the relevant Commission, it will be the duty of the President
of this Commission to begin working on the proposed text. I hope that parlia-
mentary works on this text will be swift because talking about “immigration”
in its traditional sense can be misleading. This is a matter related to the growth
of the country. It means looking at the future with an eye of regard for Italy and
its vast and diverse traditions, from culture to industry, just to name two, as the
fulcrum around which investments from all over the world will revolve.
The first modification proposed in your bill concerns the possibility of
granting an entry visa for investors also to legal representatives of legal
persons, a possibility currently excluded by the Ministry of Economic
Development, which, due to the unclear wording of the law, deemed
appropriate to adopt a restrictive interpretation. You believe that the
extension of the entry visa benefit to the legal representatives of non-EU
companies, therefore allowing not only natural persons but also legal
entities to make investments, with the “reward” of the visa and a resi-
dence permit also available to them, can improve Italy’s attractiveness?
This element is necessary to attract more investment. Major international
groups, foundations, and multinationals are clamouring for this adjustment.
Be aware that we are not devising anything new with this norm, which finds
precedents in many countries all over the world. We are just de-bureaucratizing
a rusty procedure, which, if Italy wants to be truly open to the global market,
must necessarily be updated.
Another critical facet of the current legislation is the obligation, for the
foreign investor, to sign an integration agreement. This is a fact that,
without apparent reason, considerably reduces the attractiveness of the
visa. Should we forego this demand?
I hope that my proposal on this part of the law, in particular, will be
implemented quickly because equating those who bring capitals to Italy to
make investments, which must be maintained over time, to regular immigrants
is a bureaucratic device of our own. Asking a patron or entrepreneur to learn
Italian or learn about our history has nothing to do with our commitment to
attracting capitals. I hope, for this reason, that there is a broad political
convergence among the majority on this issue.
Those who wish to make philanthropic donations towards the preserva-
tion of the Italian cultural heritage can also apply for the visa. It is
obviously more difficult to attract patrons rather than entrepreneurs:
from this point of view what could be done to increase the former’s
interest in Italy and its cultural heritage?
Italy has a cultural heritage envied by the whole world that makes Foundations
and patrons want to invest in it. In the past, we could always count on
donations, especially on occasion, unfortunately, of natural disasters that
plagued our territory. These donations were important, for example, during the
reconstruction efforts after the last tragic earthquakes in central Italy. Instead,
we have to focus on developing a marketing campaign to stimulate capital
investments on the already existing cultural heritage for redevelopment,
restructuring and to improve the yet-to-exploit attractiveness of some
monuments and areas. For an international investor, identifying with the Made
in Italy cultural brand is a tremendous boost. We must exploit this predilection
to our advantage.
How do the SMEs that would benefit the most from such an influx of
capital see this opportunity to internationalize their business or access
additional liquidity?
SMEs and the business world, in general, can only look with great hope at any
initiative that can boost their presence in the global market. In recent years,
export is the factor that has allowed many Italian companies to survive; now
is the time that exports themselves help them to grow and establish
themselves thanks to the intrinsic quality that the “Made in Italy” brings
with it.
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Viterbo
the headquarters of Investor Visa Italy
Viterbo is an ancient city and the capital of the Tuscia region which once included the
territories under the Etruscan influence. It is located about 80 km (50 mi) north of Rome.
The historic centre of the city is surrounded by medieval walls, still intact, built between
the 11 th and 12 th centuries. Entrance to the walled centre is through ancient gates.
Located in a large thermal area, Viterbo is home to the University of Tuscia, an important
Academy of Fine Arts, and US students for the School Year Abroad Italy program.
The transport of the Macchina di Santa Rosa is the annual main event. The Macchina is a
sort of an illuminated artistic bell tower by the imposing height of 30 metres, which weighs
about 5 tonnes. Every year, on the night of 3 September, a hundred men, known as ‘Facchini’,
carry it on their shoulders through the very narrow streets and squares of the medieval town
centre. This celebration is included in the UNESCO List of Intagible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity.
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