ROME, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday the country's economic downturn is waning and some sectors have seen improvement.

    "There are signs that the crisis is no longer getting worse and that some economic sectors are seeing an improvement," Berlusconi said in an interview with a TV talk show program.

    "Fear has had an influence over the crisis and this is why I say that it is a bad thing to sing a song of pessimism, because by doing so one produces fear and this changes the attitudes and buying habits of citizens. This is a vicious circle which we must combat," Berlusconi said.

    "My mission is to come out of the crisis. It is my duty as government chief," he said.

    But the national retailers' association Confcommercio on Thursday said although the worst would appear to be over, signs indicating an economic recovery are still too weak to be considered concrete.

    "Even if the most acute phase of the crisis can be considered over, there are still no concrete signs of a return of confidence and consumer spending," Confcommercio said in a report on the economic situation in April.

    According to the report, household spending in April "continues to be marked by uncertainty in terms of volume and may again be stalled."

    After rising in March, consumer spending in Italy slipped 0.4 percent in April.

Special Report:  Global Financial Crisis