The French government will propose combining or eliminating a third of government agencies by the end of the year in a bid to save money, the public accounts minister said on Sunday.
“We will, by the end of the year, propose in the budget that a third of state-backed agencies and operators that are not universities are merged or eliminated,” Amelie de Montchalin, the public accounts minister, said in an interview with French broadcaster CNews/Europe 1.
Prime Minister Francois Bayrou’s government has sought to cut the public sector budget deficit from 5.4% of economic output this year to 3%, the European Union’s ceiling, in 2029.
Ask any Frenchmen, there are quite a lot agencies who procure exactly the same services. You do not need to fire people, tear down public services, just bring 2 or 3 of those agencies under the same roof. It will also make things simpler for citizens.