(Bloomberg) -- Italy is considering the sale of as much as 20% in postal operator Poste Italiane SpA, according to Italian daily La Repubblica.

The deal could bring in up to €2.5 billion ($2.72 billion) and is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s plan to sell around €20 billion ($21.8 billion) in state assets by 2026, the paper reported on Saturday, without saying where it got the information. The Italian Treasury currently owns about 29.3% stake in Poste, while state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti holds 35%.

Italian Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said he discussed the sale of stakes in some of the country’s state companies with overseas funds at the World Economic Forum that’s just finished in Davos, Switzerland.

Italy plans to sell up to 4% of Eni SpA to reduce the nation’s liabilities, people familiar with the matter said this week. 

Italy faces low growth and persistently high interest rates this year which are hindering its efforts to cut a debt load that stands at around 140% of output. Sales of state assets would allow the government to redirect funds toward cutting taxes in line with electoral promises. The Poste Italiane deal for 10%-20% of the company could proceed in a month or two, according to the paper.

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