The Singapore government yesterday confessed to underestimating the operating costs at last month’s inaugural Youth Olympics, but insisted the benefits it reaped were worth the costs.

In a parliamentary address, minister for community development, youth and sports Vivian Balakrishnan said the organising committee was “plain wrong” in allocating just 104 million Singapore dollars (US$77 million) to the Games.

The budget later ballooned to 387 million Singapore dollars.

“We were plain wrong,” Balakrishnan admitted.

“We underestimated the requirements and the consequential cost for several major functional areas in hosting the Games. You just look at the cost of feeding people, moving people, transport and logistics, that already was over 40 million dollars.”

Upgrading of sports venues and equipment, putting on the opening and closing ceremonies and providing live broadcast of the Games also pushed the budget past initial estimates, Balakrishnan said.

He added that the biggest cost was in technology.

“Technology, we had a reason to underestimate because we didn’t think at that point in time that we were going to host a Games which are at world standard, with world-class timing systems and information systems,” he said.

“So, I’ve got no excuse for getting it wrong the first time.”