Tuesday, April 21, 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

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.”

Photo used to illustrate the story

Heading 5

Cross River records COVID-19 case, says victim Chinese worker with Lafarge

Mr Ayuk said, “We are, however, happy to report that he is doing well.”

Labour Party

Heading 4

Labour Party fixes national convention for April 28

Ms Usman reminded them of the party’s core values of equal opportunity and social justice

Pope Leo XIV

World

Pope Leo XIV pays tribute to predecessor on first remembrance 

In tribute, Pope Leo said, “Let us thank the Lord for the great gift of Francis’ life to the whole Church and to the whole world.”

Gavel used to illustrate the story

States

Mechanic arraigned over alleged N2.7 million SUV repair  fraud

The police in Lagos on Tuesday, charged a 40-year-old mechanic, Ikechukwu Madu, before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over an alleged N2

The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board

Heading 2

Two intending pilgrims lost to Kano road crash: Board

Mr Dederi stated, “Both victims were indigenes of Walawa Village in Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.”