Introduction sectionDepartment
Department
Mission
Italy's Department of the Treasury forms part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and is responsible for providing the technical support necessary to develop national economic policy, ensuring sustainable growth.
The Department has been given the task of representing Italy's position in Europe and the rest of the world regarding economic and financial issues. It also ensures market stability and security by managing public debt in an efficient and transparent way, in the interest of future generations.
Director General
The Department, made up of seven Directorates-General and two Services, is headed up by the Director General of the Treasury, who is appointed by the government based on the proposal put forward by the Minister of Economy and Finance. The Director General is responsible for key processes to support the development and implementation of the government's economic and financial policy choices, both in Italy and abroad.
Riccardo Barbieri Hermitte has held the role of Director General of the Italian Department of the Treasury since 23 January 2023.
Responsibilities
The Department of the Treasury is involved in developing Italy's economic and financial policy, supporting the Ministry of Economy and Finance to prepare and define recommendations and macroeconomic strategies to guide the government’s economic and financial policy choices. To this end, it works in the following areas:
- analysis of economic, monetary and financial problems, both in Italy and internationally; research and analysis of economic and financial impacts to support the adoption and monitoring of economic policies; preparation of economic and financial planning guidelines, also in accordance with the convergence and stability constraints deriving from Italy's membership of the European Union;
- covering financing needs, use of the financial market and management of public debt and financial transactions, as well as analysis of the relative trends and flows;
- EU and international economic and financial affairs, with the exception of the matters falling under the responsibility of Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies and Ministry of Tourism;
- financial system regulation and policies; supervising the stability and integrity of the financial system; preventing the financial system being used for illegal purposes; security of information networks and systems in the financial sector (cyber security), for the matters falling under the Ministry's responsibilities, pursuant to Italian Legislative Decree no. 65 of 2018;
- financing measures in the various sectors of the economy, infrastructure and social support, as well as in favour of public bodies and state-owned companies; monitoring the reform of state-owned companies; support for exports; assessing the impacts of financing measures, pricing policies and concession policies; public guarantees; coinage, security printing and the prevention of fraud and counterfeiting;
- adding value to state assets and public heritage; recording and analysing the components of general government assets; disposal plans for public sector real estate; financial management of the government’s shareholdings; exercising shareholder rights; sale and placement of the government's shareholdings on the financial market and the related preliminary and preparatory activities;
- legal affairs and dispute management for matters falling under the Department's responsibility;
- managing investor relations and relations with credit rating agencies, institutional communications and external relations;
- defining the Department's needs in terms of policies for human resources and instrumental resources, in line with the general guidelines developed by the Department of General Administration, Personnel and Services; strategic planning and management control; coordination of administration-accounting, innovation and IT within the department.