By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, recently revealed the provincial government is currently conducting a review of operations at the Negros First CyberCentre. The provincial official said he tasked the Internal Audit Office, along with their provincial consultant for financial for financial affairs, to “look at the financial reports and documents.”
The development comes after Diaz discussed the joint venture agreement between the provincial government and Negros First CyberCentre management after it was found the facility was not self-sustaining.
He earlier pointed out, income from the CyberCentre went from P1.7 million in 2016 to P9 million in 2018. This year, the facility is expected to earn P14 million. However, the provincial government incurred development costs of P600 million through the loan.
“We will look into the expenses and rates of rentals considering that it is already 93 percent occupied,” Diaz explained. “It is near its maximum level of income.”
“We will also provide [Provincial Consultant for Investment and Economic Enterprise Alfredo Benitez] a copy considering he also has plans for the facility,” he added.
In 2016, after announcing a consortium between the Sosa JB Property Management Corporation, CPRM Consultants, Inc., and Compact Builders, Inc. would take over CyberCentre operations, development, and management, then-Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. affirmed earnings from the facility were projected to be sufficient to pay back the loan borrowed for construction./DGB, WDJ