Amsterdam attracted almost €200 million more than it spent last year, partly due to the tourism recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the city’s 2022 accounts.

The positive result is a bonus for the city’s executive, who had been expecting a shortfall of €37 million, the Parool reported on Friday.

Some €18 million of the unexpected surplus was down to tourist taxes, which generated nearly €140 million for the city’s coffers. The city also received €3.7 billion from national government, €44 million more than expected.

In addition, some cash was left over because the city had not been able to find staff to carry out projects relating to housing, transport, phasing out gas, maintenance, care and education, finance chief Hester van Buren said

Van Buren is due to present her spending package for the coming year in mid May.

Plans to build a new cycle bridge over the IJ waterway, a new theatre in Amsterdam Nieuw-West and a new library complex in Zuid-Oost are among the more controversial measures which the current city administration hopes to push through.