Minister Gumbs targets Government vehicles use, travel as areas for more spending cuts

GREAT BAY--Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs says there is still room to reduce government spending, pointing specifically to travel expenses and the use of government vehicles as areas where additional savings can be achieved.

Responding to questions following the official presentation of Budget 2027 to Parliament on Tuesday, Gumbs agreed with the suggestion that government could do more to eliminate unnecessary spending. The reporter termed government access as "fat" that can be cut away.

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Gumbs said when asked whether she was satisfied with the level of expenditure reductions already made or believed additional “fat” could still be cut from the national budget.

The Finance Minister pointed first to government travel, noting that during the Budget 2026 deliberations, Member of Parliament Francisco Lacroes had proposed a motion calling for reductions in travel expenditure.

Gumbs said the motion was approved and indicated that she supported the effort to reduce those costs.

She said government vehicle use is another area where meaningful savings could potentially be achieved and noted that Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina, the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of General Affairs are examining the issue.

“There are other areas as well, and I know that that is something that the Prime Minister, as well as the entire Council of Ministers, but specifically the Ministry of General Affairs is looking at in terms of the vehicle usage,” Gumbs said.

The Minister suggested that government establish clearer limits on who is authorized to use government vehicles.

“Let’s set a cap,” she said. “These are the ones who can utilize the vehicles. Outside of that, the vehicle should be put down.”

Gumbs said reducing the number of government vehicles in regular use could produce savings in several areas simultaneously, including maintenance, fuel and the frequency with which government has to purchase replacement vehicles.

“We will be saving on maintenance of these vehicles. We wouldn’t have to be purchasing vehicles so often. And then on top of that, gas, gasoline,” she said.

The comments came as government presented its 2027 financial plan to Parliament and placed renewed emphasis on improving financial discipline and the management of public resources.

Gumbs made clear that the search for savings will not be limited to travel and vehicles. She said she intends to continue identifying areas where expenditure can be reduced and bringing those proposals before the Council of Ministers for discussion and approval.

“Wherever I feel that we can possibly look at in terms of cutting the fat, I will bring it to the Council of Ministers so that we can discuss it and then, of course, approve it so that we can move on,” Gumbs said.

She stressed that reducing unnecessary expenditure remains important given the country’s financial realities.

“We really need to save in these times,” the Finance Minister said.

Her comments signal that expenditure controls could remain part of government’s financial management strategy even after the submission of Budget 2027, with attention now turning not only to what government plans to spend, but also to recurring operational expenses that could potentially be reduced.

‍