The People's Daily reports that the city government has taken on 10 of the 15 new facilities to be built for the 2008 Games but doesn't say which five projects would be scrapped.

    Details of the revised Olympic construction plan are expected to be unveiled at a meeting of the Beijing People's Congress Standing Committee Wednesday, according to China Radio International.

    Chai Hua, an official with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games' media department, has confirmed that the five new venues have been scrapped and existing facilities will be upgraded or temporary structures built to accommodate the events.

    The decision is expected to result in further savings for Games organizers, in line with Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan's call for a frugal approach to the Olympics.

    A senior economist says before the latest planned cuts are taken into account, design alterations will result in savings of 3 billion yuan, or 360 million US dollars.

    Olympic venues and facilities were originally budgeted to cost 22 billion Yuan, or 2.7 billion dollars.