The COVID-19-delayed Tokyo Olympics could cost US$1.9 billion more than its original budget of US$13 billion, a 15 percent increase, a report released yesterday showed.
The Olympics organizers would formally decide the increased budget for the Games as early as the middle of next month after communicating with the Japanese government and the host city Tokyo, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported, citing unnamed Olympic sources.
The 2020 Games were pushed back a year as COVID-19 spread around the globe, and are now scheduled to open on July 23.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The delay has thrown up a plethora of new costs, from rebooking venues and transport to retaining the huge organizing committee staff.
With many countries experiencing second or even third waves of infection, there have been doubts about whether the event can be staged, but organizers and Olympic officials insist it can be done safely.
The extra ¥200 billion (US$1.92 billion) on the pre-COVID-19 estimate of ¥1.35 trillion comes despite organizers last month slashing US$280 million by cutting everything from staffing to pyrotechnics, but the new figure does not include costs of the coronavirus-related measures, the report said.
Officials expect the Japanese government to pay for the virus-linked measures, it said.
Plans for a lower-key, lower-cost Olympics were unveiled in September, with fewer free tickets, athlete welcome ceremonies being scrapped and savings on banners, mascots and meals.
The report comes after a senior official on Friday said Tokyo Olympics test events would resume in March and a decision on fan attendance would be made in the spring.
Organizers and officials are considering a long list of possible virus countermeasures that they hope will make it possible to hold the Games, even if a vaccine is not available.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach earlier this month said that he was “very confident” the Games will have fans.
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