By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental consultant for investment and economic enterprise Alfredo Benitez yesterday revealed the provincial government plans to launch a campaign to attract more investment. The former congressman likened the scheme to road shows.
“We will not wait for investors to come to our doorsteps and be passive,” he stated. “We will be proactive and open our doors.”
Benitez went on to describe the process as requiring “a lot of travelling and a contingent from the provincial government.”
The provincial official said additional funding is needed for seaports, airports, highways, and “digital highways.”
“These is where we lag from our neighbors,” Benitez added.
He explained how investments have been on the decline, from P4.5 billion in 2016 to P1.7 last year, and pointed out, while investment in Bacolod City has seen an increase, most of the allocation has gone towards provincial government property.
“It is now time to bring investments in provincial areas so that the income will stay with the provincial government,” Benitez explained./DGB, WDJ