Vivian Balakrishnan: Even if I knew beforehand that it will cost S$390mln, I'll still bid for YOG

BBC News, 15 Aug 2010
The government minister in charge of spending on the games, Vivian Balakrishnan, is unapologetic. "If I could rewind time, with the benefit of hindsight, I should have budgeted a larger amount in the first place," he says. "But the real question is if I knew that it was going to cost this amount, would I still have proceeded to bid for the games? The answer is a definite 'yes'." Mr Balakrishnan, the Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports sees it as a chance to extend Singapore's image as an efficient globally connected city. "I think this is not a trifling amount," he admits. Full story