The Swiss government has given the green light for Switzerland's planned national exhibition in 2002. At its weekly meeting, the cabinet also approved the release of an extra SFr250 million credit for Expo.02.

The Swiss government has given the green light for Switzerland's planned national exhibition in 2002. At its weekly meeting, the cabinet also approved the release of an extra SFr250 million credit for Expo.02.

The approval comes only days after Expo's bosses said they had cut the exhibition's budget from SFr1.8 billion to SFr1.4 billion, and raised another SFr 290 million from private industry.

In a statement, the government said it was convinced Expo had taken the necessary measures to keep costs under control and made the necessary management and organisational changes.

Expo has been plagued by management and financial difficulties since its beginnings, culminating in a government decision last year to postpone its opening from 2001 to 2002.

A spokesman for Expo.02 welcomed the government's announcement, and praised it for taking such a speedy decision. Expo's feasibility study was delivered to the government last Friday.

From staff and wire reports

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