BOOSTING COMPETITIVENESS. RDC-7 Chair Kenneth Cobonpue is seen in this July 2019 photo delivering his state of the region address. During the RDC-7 fourth quarter virtual meeting on Monday (Dec. 7, 2020), the business sector asked the Regional Development Council’s (RDC 7) intervention to address the high cost of power in Cebu and boost competitiveness. (PNA file photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has asked the Regional Development Council’s (RDC) intervention to address the high cost of power in Cebu and boost competitiveness.
During the RDC-7 fourth-quarter virtual meeting on Monday, Economic Development Committee chair Virgilio Espeleta, who is the CCCI's former president, raised the business community’s clamor.
In response, RDC-7 chair Kenneth Cobonpue said that Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino is set to hold a dialogue within this week with business groups in Cebu and Visayan Electric Company to come up with a collaborative plan to reduce the power cost in the latter’s franchised area in a sustained manner.
Cobonpue said the RDC-7 will act on CCCI’s concerns based on what would be discussed from this dialogue.
Espeleta said addressing Cebu’s high cost of power is a “shared cause” to help in economic recovery and will attract more investors moving forward.
If lowered, power can also be a top enabler and boost Cebu’s overall competitiveness, he added. (PNA)
