The Fiji Labour Party leader wants the government to reduce the size of the cabinet before it considers downsizing the public service.
Radio Fiji quotes Mahendra Chaudhry as saying there is no justification for a cabinet of 36 ministers in a 71-member House of Representatives.
Mr Chaudhry says it is nothing short of buying political loyalty at the taxpayers' expense.
He was responding to a statement by the chief executive of the public service commission, Anare Jale, that the PSC is considering slashing the size of the service to reduce the cost of the government.
Mr Chaudhry says the government cannot fix the problems in the public service without observing the rules and principles of good governance.
He says the government must first practise financial discipline before it can really address the serious situation facing public finances.
Mr Chaudhry says the government can be run very effectively with a cabinet of 18 and he had done just that for 12 months with only another five assistant ministers.
