By Louella D.
Desiderio (The Philippine Star) | Updated March 16, 2013 - 12:00am
CEBU,
Philippines – The Cebu Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is pushing the province as a destination for
investments, citing opportunities in the sectors of information technology –
business process outsourcing (IT-BPO), tourism, creative industries and small
and medium enterprises (SMEs).
CCCI
president Lito Maderazo told reporters the group wants to encourage more firms
to invest in the province given available opportunities.
“Cebu has a
lot to offer. There are opportunities here,” he said.
He said firms
could consider investing in the IT-BPO sector given available talent.
The IT-BPO
employs 95,000 in the province.
Apart from
IT-BPO, he said, investment opportunities are also available in tourism as it
is among the top destination picks of foreign visitors to the country.
He pointed
out that two million foreign tourists visited the province last year, 50
percent higher than in 2011.
Cebu,
likewise, has creative industries such as furniture which interested firms
could consider to engage in.
Maderazo said
the CCCI is also pushing for the development of more SMEs in the province.
He said that
while the country has captured the attention of many foreign firms looking to
invest, the government has to address concerns which hamper the growth of
businesses in the province.
“Now that we
are a bright spot, we are hoping that the government will resolve the high cost
of power,” he said.
He said the
government also has to address the lack of infrastructure in the province to
remove the high shipping costs and attract more tourists.
The
inadequate water supply is, likewise, a problem with water utilities in the
province supplying only 50 percent of what is needed.
The CCCI has
organized business meetings along with the 27th Confederation of Asia-Pacific
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) Conference which started yesterday.
The CACCI is
composed of national chambers of commerce and industry, business associations
and business enterprises in Asia and the Western Pacific.
Maderazo said
the CCCI is hoping to encourage new investments in the province through the
conference.
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