When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Roberto Ferraro to shut the patisserie he runs in Amelia, a scenic hilltop town in central Italy, he had just rented out a new site to increase production of ice cream and start selling it abroad.
Ferraro would like to be preparing his business to reopen in the weeks to come, working out how to secure supplies and ensure social distancing among customers. Instead, the 51-year-old is devoting his time and energy to wading through the pile of documents he must file with banks to tap state-guaranteed loans.
His struggles are just one example of how red tape is holding up the state aid needed to keep companies afloat in the euro zone's third-largest economy and a country that has suffered Europe's deadliest coronavirus outbreak.