The Court of Auditors estimates in a new report that the budget for the organization of the Paris Olympic Games was “underestimated” at the start and that there will undoubtedly still be “optimization efforts to be made” by summer 2024. In this final report, of which AFP received a copy on Wednesday and a version of which was recently revealed by Le Monde, the Court of Auditors estimates that “two thirds” of the increase in the budget, increased to 4 .4 billion euros at the end of 2022, “result not from a drift in management or an inconsiderate development of the project but from an obvious underestimation of the application budget and from an incomprehensible ignorance of the complexity of the specifications duties of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) (…)”.
The 2022 budget revision (400 million euros, partly due to inflation) “was conducted in a transparent and rigorous manner” by the committee, “in close collaboration with the IOC and the IPC (Paralympic movement) and with strong state involvement.
The Cojo presents to the State each month a follow-up of the budget, calls for tenders, payroll, and risks, etc. The State is in fact a guarantor in the event of a Cojo deficit. But despite the efforts made, the magistrates of the Court of Auditors consider that it is not excluded that it is necessary “further measures to reduce service levels to ensure the final budgetary balance” and note that “uncertainties Substantial amounts remain on the final level of resources”.
With regard to partnerships, which account for almost a third of the Cojo’s budget (1.24 billion), some “337.2 million euros remain to be secured, which implies concluding the partnership with LVMH, announced up to 140 million but still not signed. “It is necessary to continue the optimization efforts undertaken on the management of sites and infrastructures”, also adds the Court. In her January report, she was worried about a “delay” in the signing of contracts, particularly with competition sites, a delay “in the process of being absorbed”, she greets. In addition, she asks again that “all the costs” be “consolidated” to have the total amount of the invoice, which for the moment is not possible to establish.
Regarding private security, she notes that despite “the combined efforts of the Cojo, the State and the professional branch, the risk that several calls for tenders remain unsuccessful is real”, notes the Court. “The now probable recourse to the internal security forces and the armies to make up for this deficit must therefore be anticipated” and decided “by October 2023 at the latest”, she adds.
Another crucial point: transport, while some stations are still under construction, such as on line 14, must imperatively open for the Olympics and transport in the Ile-de-France region is experiencing difficulties. “Beyond the question of transporting spectators and the image challenge that the completion of the various projects represents for the organizers of the Games, these infrastructure projects remain essential to ensure the fluidity of flows during the Games” , notes the Court, which calls for “overall governance that remains effective and operational”.
With regard to Solideo (the Olympic works delivery company), “certain works, affected by delays (athletes’ village, media village, Porte de la Chapelle Arena, etc.), are subject to ‘optimization of schedules and reinforcement measures (extension of working hours, increase in staff) to reduce them’. “If they persist, the reception dates could be postponed by a few weeks, thereby limiting the period for lifting reservations before the provision to the Cojo and the realization by the latter of the temporary facilities”, adds the Court of Justice. accounts.