BEIJING: Beijing Olympics organisers are confident the Games budget will not register a deficit.

The total cost of the Games was recently estimated to be US$2.2 billion, exceeding the original 1.6billion estimate when China bid for the Olympics.

But, according to Wei Jizhong, former secretary-general of the Chinese Olympic Committee, the revenue too would increase at the same time.

Wei said: "We had missed some of the factors at the time of preparing our budget."

He enumerated the factors as increased costs on security post-September 11, 2001, increase in currency exchange rates and prices and hi-tech investments, especially LCD screen costs.

However, because of increased revenue from allocation from the IOC income and China's own income, Wei says: "I am confident that the Olympic budget would not be in deficit.

                                                         **********

According to an expert on Beijing Olympics economy, the capital city's economy will not be subject to fluctuation after the Games.

Chen Ji, executive president of Beijing Olympic Economic Research Association, told the media that after the Olympics, Beijing's economy will "shape up a development pattern featuring the sectors of high technology, finance, services and culture."

Chen said: "Investment in urban infrastructure will remain intensive and the new investment is enough to continue to push the economic growth and shun potential post-Games economic fluctuation"

The official added that some Olympic host cities suffered economic fluctuation in the post-Games period merely because their investment into infrastructure construction was excessive compared with the city's size.

Avoid

Chen said Beijing would try to "avoid that situation".

He also said that, in general, housing prices in Beijing were 'rational' when the city prepared for the Olympic Games. From the end of 2007 to the first half of 2008, the city's real estate market entered a period of readjustment, and the period may be prolonged after the Games.

On the other hand, he said, "huge housing demand would support the city's housing prices."

                                                      **********

Beijing will continue to face tough environmental challenges after the Olympics and will adopt stricter measure to cope with pollution, an environment official said on Saturday.

Du Shaozong, deputy director of the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau told media persons that some of the temporary pollution-curbing measures would become permanent after the Games.

The removal and treatment of heavy-polluting vehicles will be accelerated and plans to reduce construction site dust will be stepped up.

With pollution a major concern in the run-up to the Games, Beijing reduced the number of its 3.3 million vehicles on the roads by half with even-odd licence plate number restrictions.

Temporary

The temporary measures included closing polluting factories in Beijing and neighbouring provinces, the suspension of most urban construction projects, and the removal of vehicles failing to meet emission standards.

According to world environmental agency tests, the city's air quality ranged between excellent and fairly good on the pollution index, which was the cleanest for any summer period in the last 10 years. (the reading during yesterday's men's marathon, the last athletic event of the Games, was 24, way below the prescribed level of 50).

Du added: "However, our happiness and easiness are limited. Although the Olympic Games will end soon, the environmental changes we face are by no means over."

The city authorities will require heavy-pollution enterprises to resolve their pollution problems as a prerequisite to resuming operations after the Games.

Du said: "If they can't resolve the pollution problems, they should stop or limit their production.

"We'll draw experience from the Olympics to organise volunteers to get involved in the daily environment protection administration, and continue to reward those who report illegal pollution activities."