Costs soar for event hosting by Icelandic Prime Minister’s Office from 2022 to 2023

The cost of hosting events and conferences by the Icelandic Prime Minister’s Office increased significantly between 2022 and 2023. Expenses soared from approximately 4.3 million ISK in 2022 to over 22.5 million ISK in 2023, marking a fivefold rise. The Nordic Prime Ministers’ meeting, held in Vestmannaeyjar last year, accounted for the largest single expense, totaling over 12 million ISK.

In a report to Parliament, it was revealed that the State Administration Day cost around 5.2 million ISK, while the Equality Conference at Harpa the previous year was the costliest, totaling over 4 million ISK. Among related institutions, the highest costs were incurred by Statistics Iceland for a Nordic statistical event in 2022, amounting to 17.7 million ISK, followed by the Children’s Parliament at 12.1 million ISK.

The promotional expenses of the Prime Minister’s Office skyrocketed sixfold, rising from nearly 3.1 million ISK to 18.6 million ISK, with over 16.3 million ISK spent on the “Our Words” campaign. Conversely, the Equality Agency managed to significantly reduce its advertising costs, with previous projects proving expensive.

Costs related to event hosting in the Ministry of Culture and Business also nearly tripled, from 7.9 million ISK in 2022 to over 22.8 million ISK last year. The Competition Authority incurred the highest costs among related institutions at approximately 6.8 million ISK, followed closely by the Icelandic Film Center.

The Cultural Ministry’s advertising expenses showed a slight decrease, while the National Theatre and the National Gallery maintained the highest costs in both years, reflecting a broader trend in increased expenses across governmental departments and cultural institutions.