Saturday, November 7, 2026

New Argentine president reduces government cars by 50%, sells private jets to save $3 billion per year

“One of the great objectives we have as a government is to put an end to privileges.”

• December 17, 2023
President Javier Milei
President Javier Milei [Credit: BBC]

Recently sworn-in President of Argentina, Javier Milei, has sold two national private jets and slashed the number of official vehicles and drivers by half as a show of his commitment to lowering government spending and hyperinflation during his administration. The move will save the country $3 billion annually.


According to a statement released on Friday by his spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, Mr Milei had resorted to the jets sale and reduction of government drivers to stave off Argentina’s 3,678 per cent annual inflation rate that the minister of economy, Luis Toto Caputo, predicted.


“Talking about 15,000% inflation is frightening for everyone and that is what we are working on,” Mr Adorni told journalists at his daily presser last Friday. “It is good to understand that today inflation is running at around 3,678 per cent per year; this one per cent of daily inflation leaves us immersed in a hyperinflation that we are trying to avoid and we are making an effort so that the catastrophe does not end up happening.”


The two airplanes sold off belonged to YPF, a government-owned oil and gas company, but were expended to salvage Argentina’s ballooning inflation since they were “used almost exclusively by privileged” statesmen, Mercopress quoted Mr Adorni as saying.


“One of the great objectives we have as a government is to put an end to privileges. The adjustment we intend to make on political expenses, only in operating expenses, is around US$ 3 billion per year”, stressed Mr Adorni.


The Argentine has continually shown himself to be prudent as he raffled off his last salary as a lawmaker on Friday, fulfilling his political vow where he had promised to donate his lawmaking monthly remuneration.


“This is the last draw for my salary as a deputy because I now got myself another job,” the 53-year-old Argentine president said in an Instagram live.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

Nigerian Bar Association

States

Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future

The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Nicholas Ba’amlong

States

Plateau records 724 surgeries, treats 17,603 patients in free medical outreach

The commissioner said no death was recorded throughout the outreach.

Idi Maiha

Agriculture

FG urges veterinarians to improve animal healthcare delivery

The project coordinator said the hospitals were established to bring quality veterinary services closer to livestock farmers.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa

States

Aiyedatiwa tasks aides to mobilise one million votes for Tinubu in 2027

Mr Aiyedatiwa gave the charge on Friday while addressing his senior special assistants and special assistants.

Santiago Peña

World

Paraguay President Peña impeached, placed under house arrest amid bank collapse, corruption scandal

Mr Peña is being investigated for misuse of pension assets and institutional cover-ups.

Federal Ministry of Education

NationWide

FG suspends NTI, NCE admissions over regulatory violations 

The ministry said NTI was not authorised to award NCE and bachelor’s degrees.

ex-CBN deputy governor Sarah Alade

NationWide

UN budget panel backs ex-CBN deputy governor Sarah Alade for fresh third-year term

The United Nations General Assembly’s Fifth Committee has recommended the reappointment of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Dr Sarah Alade, to the UN Investments Committee The