Umeå municipality, where the competition is held, has repeatedly provided multi-million-krona grants to keep the competition alive. But according to Värmlands Folkblad, the municipal grants for future years' competitions have been used for several years to pay off the previous year's debts. After several years of negative results, the auditors have now stepped in and put an end to the scheme.
The company that runs the competition, Rally Sweden AB, made a deficit of around 16 million kronor. According to one of the newspaper's sources, it is only a matter of time before the historic competition, which is part of the World Rally Championship, goes bankrupt.
There are also reports of a crisis on the board, where CEO Anna Nordkvist is the only member left after several defections.
