The board of Turin's Olympic committee has approved a 1.14 billion euro (US$1.38 billion) budget for the 2006 Winter Games, ending the financial problems which hampered preparations and sparked a national row.

Organizing committee TOROC was faced with a budget deficit of 150 million euros after sponsorship deals fell through but the gap was filled with public money.

The organizers also said in a statement that Turin city and province and the wider region of Piedmont would set up a separate committee for the Winter Paralympics, meaning none of those Games' costs will fall on TOROC.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2005)????