Rio Games set $US2.9bn operational budget

The Rio 2016 Olympic Games organisers have revealed an operational budget of $US2.9 billion, two thirds above the original bid quote made in 2008.

The Rio 2016 Olympic logo

Rio 2016 Olympic Games organisers have unveiled an operational budget of $A3.3 billion. (AAP)

Rio 2016 Olympic Games organisers on Thursday unveiled an operational budget of $US2.9 billion ($A3.3 billion), comprising private money and around 27 per cent higher than initial forecasts allowing for inflation.

The total is some two thirds above the original bid quote made in 2008 but inflation accounts for 31.89 per cent.

The total does not include capital spending or infrastructural elements and will comprise wholly private money, organising committee president Carlos Nuzman said.

The budget includes items such as ticketing, sponsorship and merchandising whereas infrastructure projects, including transport upgrades, falls in the spending remit of national and local governments, to be unveiled next week.

When Rio was selected as hosts for South America's first ever Olympiad in 2009 the spending blueprint came in at $US3.5 billion ($A3.96 billion), the lion's share funded through sponsorship and an International Olympic Committee grant.

The organising committee has "undertaken a line-by-line critical analysis of the budget, to balance known spending commitments and be able to meet new obligations as they arise," chief executive Sidney Levy told reporters in Rio.

"We are striving to achieve a zero contribution of public funds to the committee," he added.

The issue of the private-public split is a hot topic in Brazil, which is also hosting this year's World Cup, set to cost around $11 billion.

Last year, around a million Brazilians took to the streets to protest the cost of staging major sports events when the country is suffering from creaking infrastructure and lack of investment in health and education.

Multi-million dollar new football stadiums have been paid for in major part by government funds, fuelling popular resentment and suspicion at how state finances are being spent.

Olympic organisers insist the overall budget for 2016 -- estimated in the region of $US12 billion ($A13.6 billion) -- is as transparent as it can be.

The budget revealed on Thursday covers expected revenue and organising committee-related expenses.

The Committee explained that part of the overshoot on the 2008 figure when the bid was submitted was down to the inclusion of four new sports -- rugby sevens, golf and paracanoe and paratriathlon in the Paralympics.

A spokesman added that technological and communications advances since 2008, coupled with regulatory requirements and salary increases had also had to be taken into account, as had the costs of leading and fitting out the Olympic village.

Next Tuesday is due to see the capital section of the budget unveiled which is forecast to be some three times greater than the operational figure.

Chief Operating Officer Leo Gryner said he could not "categorically" state that the total cost would not rise by 2016, citing unknown factors such as exchange rates -- a key element is sponsorship, whose deals are valued in dollars.

Since 2008, the dollar-real rate has oscillated by half from some 1.6 reais to the dollar to nearer 2.4 now.


Share

3 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world