You're reading: Official: Ukraine spends Hr 20 billion on preparations for Euro 2012

Ukraine invested around Hr 20 billion in the implementation of projects that are directly or partially connected with the preparations for the Euro 2012 European Football Championship, according to Valeriy Zhaldak, the deputy head of the national agency for Euro 2012 preparations.

"We divide investments in Euro 2012, because there is sports infrastructure, which has direct relation to Euro 2012, and other [infrastructure] related to it indirectly. In general, the total sum of investment in the preparation of stadiums and airports amounts to Hr 20 billion," he said during a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.

In particular, Zhaldak mentioned the stadiums in Kyiv and Lviv and a part of the stadium in Kharkiv, as well as runways in all of the host cities, apart from Kyiv, "as the government invested in the capital’s platforms, and not the runway" and two terminals in Donetsk and Lviv.

"The terminal at Boryspil was and is being constructed at the expense of the airport’s own funds and in Kharkiv it is funded by an investor," he said.

"As for investments from businesses, we should calculate only investments directly in Euro 2012. These are Hr 3 billion in the stadium in Donetsk worth EUR 310 million, and the terminal in Kharkiv worth about EUR 200 million," the official said.

According to him, it is difficult to estimate how much the hotel business of Ukraine invested in the preparations for the tournament.

"It’s clear that hotel businesses are not eager to share information about the funds they spent on the construction of hotels. According to our calculations, it was around Hr 20 billion," he said.

Zhaldak also said that some 500,000 people found jobs in Ukraine due to the preparations for the Euro 2012. In 2011 some 40,000 people worked at the main objects of the championship, including 15,000 involved in the construction of facilities for the championship. An average monthly wage of workers at the tournament’s facilities was Hr 3,280. The fund of monthly wages amounted to over Hr 130 million.