Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis has warned his ministers to speed up preparations for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, or they might have to resort to “drastic measures”.
Athens is still struggling to meet project deadlines and delivery dates for infrastructure works and sports venues, reports Reuters.
According to government spokesman Telemachos Hytiris, Simitis said, “all projects are progressing within a very tight timetable. I have become very pushy because I repeat myself. There’s no alternative date to postpone the Games. The dates for the Games are fixed”.
An IOC inspection team is visiting Athens on November 6 and several venues and road works are still behind schedule.
Simitis blamed state agencies’ red tape as one of the main reasons for delays cited by the IOC.
He said, “we must not follow procedures as we do for any common public project. We even must take decision on a ministerial level wherever necessary to save time”.
Greece may issue government bonds to help finance a 6.5 billion-euro facelift for Athens before the 2004 Games, a senior finance ministry source told Reuters.
The source said the government is assessing different methods of financing the world’s largest sport event and would prefer not to burden the country’s high public debt.
“Our goal is to avoid having an effect on debt. There are a number of different options we are currently examining. Issuing bonds is among them”.
