RIO DE JANEIRO: Olympic organizers, faced with the reality of a country deep in recession, say they are trimming costs to keep their budget balanced. To keep spending in line, officials say they will cut back on printed material, reduce staffing at dozens of test events and trim costs for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Sidney Levy, the organizing committee's chief operating officer, tells The Associated Press 'this is a very strict budget. There'll be no excess, but we are not going to compromise the essentials.' The organizing committee's budget remains at 7.4 billion reals ($2 billion), which is for putting on the games themselves. It does not include building venues, subway lines and highways to help stage the games.