Italian banks including UniCredit SpA (UCG.MI)

Italian banks including UniCredit SpA (UCG.MI) and Intesa
Sanpaolo SpA (ISP.MI) will take part in a EUR1.6 billion scheme to boost loans
to companies operating in tourism, Premier Silvio Berlusconi said Wednesday.

The plan, which also includes Banco Popolare (BP.MI), Banca Popolare di
Milano (PMI.MI) and Banca Popolare di Sondrio (BPSO.MI), aims to make it easier
for companies operating in tourism to secure credit, Berlusconi said.

The prime minister said the government wants to nearly double the
contribution tourism makes to Italian national output - currently around 10% of
gross domestic product - in the next four years. He said tourism accounts for
18% of Spain's GDP.

The tourism industry contracted around 5% in 2008 as the global economic
downturn hit travel to Italy's cultural and natural sites. The sharp slowdown
in the world economy is expected to lead the Italian economy as a whole to
contract by about 5% in 2009, marking the worst recession since the Second
World War.

Some 14,000 bank branches across Italy will provide low-interest loans of up
to EUR2 million for tourism buildings which need to be renovated or rebuilt,
the premier said in presenting the plan with bank and tourist officials.

In a statement, UniCredit said it would take part in the scheme by putting
forward EUR500 million for small- and medium-sized companies operating in
tourism that want to develop their business. Banco Popolare said it would
contribute with EUR200 million.

Berlusconi told a press conference with his new tourism minister, Michela
Vittoria Brambilla, that he was proud of Italy's banking system and reiterated
that the country's banks are the most solid in Europe.

The EUR1.6 billion in easier credit is available immediately so that
companies can take advantage of the summer season that has just started,
Brambilla said.