Tokyo organizers promise cost-cutting for 2020 Olympics
TOKYO — Hoping to avoid last-minute financial pressures, Japanese officials said Wednesday they are determined to keep total costs of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games below 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) after a three-day debriefing from organizers of the Rio de Janeiro Games.
Rio was forced to make cuts up to the opening of this year’s games because the Brazilian economy went into severe recession after the Olympics were awarded in 2009.
Tokyo’s estimated costs have ballooned in the face of construction costs that have soared since the city launched its bid for the Olympics in 2011 and secured the games in 2013.
“We’re committed to reducing costs,” Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said after the debriefing wrapped up. “The city government, the national government and the organizing committee must all work together.”