ROME – Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio has promised that basic income for up to six million Italians is in the process of being delivered, Il Fatto Quotidiano reports.

 In an interview with Corrado Formigli on TV network La7, Di Maio announced that he had “already given the order to print five or six million membership cards,” which would make someone eligible to receive basic income.

 The policy, which Di Maio branded “the biggest investment in human capital,” was a key election promise of the Five Star Movement, though many critics have since suggested that it was unfeasible and would never be rolled out.

 M5S leader Di Maio, however, spoke confidently of his plan, which will allow those who receive a card to access money online, rather than queuing up at counters. He maintained that the government will thoroughly examine who should be eligible for the funding, saying that “stringent conditions” would be applied. According to current estimates, around nine billion euros have been allocated for the policy, with a further billion being spent on reforming employment centres.

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