The world economic crisis will only have a ”limited impact” on preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup finals in South Africa, head of the local organising committee Danny Jordaan said on Monday.
Jordaan told Agence France-Presse stadium construction costs had gone up by 10% compared with the initial budget due to the rising cost of steel, concrete and exchange-rate variations.
He added, however: ”These increases were calculated some while ago and all costs are now frozen. There will therefore not be an impact on our stadium budget.”
He said: ”No one in the world can say they are not affected by the world economic crisis, but its impact should be less on our country. What worries us the most is the long term consequences and the quicker we get through this, the better.
”We are keeping an eye on what is happening but as I speak there is not a serious or direct impact” on World Cup preparations. — Sapa-AFP