Beijing Olympic organizers re-affirmed on Tuesday that all competition venues for the 2008 Games will be in place by the end of 2007.

"The construction work is progressing well according to the schedule," Jin Yan, chief of the Beijing 2008 Project Construction Headquarter Office, told a press conference.

"All the competition venues will be completed by the end of 2007, and some will get ready in August and September next year for the test events," he added.

Beijing had raced ahead with the construction timetable in the early stage of its preparations, prompting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ask the Chinese organizers to slow down amid concerns of high maintenance costs.

Beijing has thus slowed its pace and promised to get all facilities ready by the end of 2007.

A total of 37 competition venues will be used for the 2008 Games,including 14 brand new, 14 existing facilities that need renovation and upgrading, and nine temporary.

Jin said that of the 31 competition venues planned for Beijing, 20 are being built and construction of nine more will start this year.

With a total of 17,000 workers being employed at all construction sites, the construction work on Olympic projects has moved into full swing.

"This year is very crucial as the main structures for the venues are scheduled to be completed," said Jin.

By 2008, Beijng expects to have spent more than 30 billion US dollars on the Olympics, most of which will go to venue and infrastructure construction and environmental protection.

Source: Xinhua