The 209 billion euros that Italy is set to receive from the European Union's Coronavirus recovery fund is "a common good that belongs to the nation," premier Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday.
"The recovery plan does not belong to the government, it is a common good that belongs to the nation," Conte told the Confcooperative association of Italian cooperatives annual general meeting.
"We want the country to channel its maximum energy into the plan," Conte underlined.
The Italian government's various ministries "will always be open to you", Conte added.
The EU funds comprising low-interest loans and grants are due to come on stream by 2023 to help Italy recover from the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, which various sources estimate will wipe 10-13% off gross domestic product this year.
Italy is due to receive one of the biggest shares of the EU's total 750 billion euro stimulus package to help countries hardest hit by the pandemic.
