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Sep 18, 2010
Room for improvement in explaining YOG overspending
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THERE is no easy way to quantify all the benefits that came from the Youth Olympic Games - national pride for instance, and longer-term benefits of putting Singapore on the world map ('YOG budget estimate fell short due to inexperience'; Thursday).
Other than the comparison with the Beijing Olympics, there are not many other ways to assess if spending $387 million was worth it.
What I am appalled at was the way the overspending was swept aside.
It remains a fact that we spent three times more of taxpayers' money than anticipated. We might well have still decided to go ahead if we knew in advance.
Comparisons to London and Beijing - given the scale, nature and history of the traditional Olympics - are like comparing apples and jackfruit.
Comparing with the typical spending on Asean games, where of course one can easily point out differences, might provide additional 'perspective'.
Kevin Kwek
Room for improvement in explaining YOG overspending
<!-- by line --><!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
THERE is no easy way to quantify all the benefits that came from the Youth Olympic Games - national pride for instance, and longer-term benefits of putting Singapore on the world map ('YOG budget estimate fell short due to inexperience'; Thursday).
Other than the comparison with the Beijing Olympics, there are not many other ways to assess if spending $387 million was worth it.
What I am appalled at was the way the overspending was swept aside.
It remains a fact that we spent three times more of taxpayers' money than anticipated. We might well have still decided to go ahead if we knew in advance.
Comparisons to London and Beijing - given the scale, nature and history of the traditional Olympics - are like comparing apples and jackfruit.
Comparing with the typical spending on Asean games, where of course one can easily point out differences, might provide additional 'perspective'.
Kevin Kwek
