Taxpayers will not bear the brunt of the $40 million cost of the new National Sports Centre, according to a top Government official.

Anthony Roberts, Director of Youth and Sport, said Government only had to pay "a small percentage'' of the project's final cost.

He also reassured Bermudians there would be no need for a tax hike to pay for the $40 million development.

He added: "Mr. Donald Lines, chairman of the trustees, has outlined a wide-ranging programme for private finance to us.

"Private sources will finance the majority of the project and I'm very optimistic that more than enough money will be made available. The funding project is in place and Bermuda's taxpayers can rest easy.'' Mr. Lines was unavailable to give details of his funding formula last night, as he is recovering from a heart attack and on holiday.

But Mr. Roberts added: "The projected cost of the sports centre has risen sharply but it is a much better design now than was originally envisaged. "We have the utmost confidence in the consultants we have hired. They had responsibility for building the facilities for the last Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, and they are specialists in this field.

"It is proving an expensive investment because we have to import the majority of our raw materials. But we should not see the cost of the development rise much further, even with new designs coming.

"It certainly won't end up costing us more than $50 million in the final analysis.'' The Royal Gazette revealed on Thursday that the current estimated final cost of the sports centre project had rocketed to $40 million.

Former Premier Sir John Swan estimated the cost at just $9 million four years ago.

Bermuda's Shadow Sports Minister Nelson Bascome slammed Government for wasting millions by employing expert Bermudian consultants "too late in the game''.

He said the project's backers could also have saved money by making sure initial building work was done correctly.

He added: "We in the Progressive Labour Party have pointed out the mistakes but the simple fact is that Bermudians should have been used years ago -- back in the mid-'80s -- to iron out these problems.''