The total amount spent on last November’s CHOGM meeting was Lm2,559,275, CHOGM Task Force chairman, Ambassador Salv Stellini said yesterday.

Speaking during the presentation of the CHOGM audited accounts to the Prime Minister, Mr Stellini said the total sum spent includes Lm365,951 in sponsorships, so net government expenses were of Lm2,193,324 or more than Lm206,000 less than what had been projected by the government.

He said that a further Lm280,000 out of these expenses were paid in VAT while another Lm235,000 was spent on equipment that was bought and used for CHOGM and which was eventually handed over to the Army and Police.

Thus the actual net expense by the government was of Lm1,913,324. Ambassador Stellini said that the report, which was prepared by Grant Thornton, did not quantify the large economical benefits gained by the event when more than 4,000 people visited the island.