Coffee in Kandahar worth four million
It will cost Canadian taxpayers close to $4 million to set up a Tim Hortons franchise for Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and maintain it for a year.
A TV news station says it obtained documents detailing the approximate operational costs, including the initial setup, workers' salaries and maintenance.
The report said it cost $1.4 million to send the initial stock to the Kandahar military base and $650,000 for salaries. Another $550,000 will be spent to sustain the business for the first year.
The franchise opened in June.
The story said that when costs are factored in from the purchase of two trailers, sending them to Kandahar, engineer work, training and operation and maintenance, the total comes to about $3.9 million for the first year.
The documents say it could cost taxpayers another $2 million to $5 million to keep it open each year. The franchise employs 15 people.