Representative offices cost more than expected

Four of the five Faroese representative offices exceeded their budget allocations last year, according to the National Audit Office.

The five offices – in Moscow, London, Copenhagen, Reykjavik and Brussels – had total running costs of DKK 15.3 million last year.

The Moscow office cost Faroese taxpayers just over DKK 3.5m, exceeding the budget allocation by 777.000.

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The London office cost just under DKK 3.5m, exceeding its budget by 445,000.

The Danish office cost DKK 3.6m last year, 92,000 less than its budget allocation.

Reduced appropriation

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the representative office appropriations were reduced slightly last September as it was estimated that last year’s office running costs would be lower.

A sixth Faroese representation office in Beijing, China, was due to open on 1 August, but minor complications have delayed proceedings by a few weeks.

The Beijing office, which will be headed by Sigmundur Ísfeld, is expected to open next month.

Translated by prosa.fo