{
  "id": 16603751,
  "title": "Van der Burg plans to use more AI so government can cut payroll",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/van-der-burg-plans-to-use-more-ai-so-government-can-cut-payroll",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-26T12:07:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DutchNews",
    "slug": "dutchnews",
    "url": "https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/10/van-der-burg-plans-to-use-more-ai-so-government-can-cut-payroll/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Deputy Home Affairs Minister Eric van der Burg has unveiled plans to cut the number of civil servants by 16% by 2035, part of a broader efficiency initiative. His goal is to eliminate 25,000 government officials through standardizing IT systems and leveraging technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). In a letter to parliament, the VVD minister, serving as State Secretary for Decisive Government, also outlined plans to reduce the number of advisory bodies and committees from 28 and 150, respectively. This announcement confirms earlier reports suggesting the cabinet intends to employ AI to streamline government operations, potentially saving €3.5 billion annually by 2035. While specific departments facing the cuts have not been disclosed, the police and defense budgets are anticipated to remain unaffected. Nevertheless, agencies already under pressure, such as the tax office and UWV, are unlikely to escape the reductions. Van der Burg hinted at potential savings through fewer regulations and \"exceptions to exceptions.\" The government pledged to eliminate 500 rules annually under the coalition agreement involving D66, VVD, and CDA parties. However, he acknowledged that not all savings could be achieved through efficiency measures, stating that some government roles would need to be diminished or eliminated. Additionally, Van der Burg expressed concerns about the Freedom of Information law, noting that the current requests are often too broad, making it unclear what information should be provided.",
  "summary": "Deputy home affairs minister Eric van der Burg has set out plans to cut the number of civil servants by...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}