Tremonti Supports Using Gold Reserves to Back Loans, MF Says

Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti supports a proposal to use the Bank of Italy’s gold reserves to guarantee loans, MF reported, citing comments made by the president of the finance committee in parliament.

Gianfranco Conte, who heads the commission in the Chamber of Deputies, is close to Tremonti and yesterday called on Central Bank Governor Mario Draghi to address parliament on the issue to help “ease credit,” the newspaper said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson in Rome at fjackson@bloomberg.net