By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — About 300 businessmen want to lease relatively fewer spaces available in the soon-to-open Negros First CyberCentre.
They filed on Tuesday their “intent to lease” 120 spaces in the building, Provincial Administrator Enrique Pinongan said.
Pinongan said this only proves the viability of setting up business in the CyberCentre.
The draft of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the use of the facility was presented to prospective lessors the other day.
CyberCentre’s lease rate would be P350, P375 and P400 per square meter, depending on the space’s location in the building, said Pinongan.
“The location will be determined through a bidding to be conducted at the site on the first week of July,” he said. The lessor with the highest bid wins.
Prospective lessors has to pay a “goodwill fee” of at least P1,000 per square meter.
Pinongan said the “goodwill fee” will be the prospective lessor’s bid for the space and will be different from the fixed rental rate.
Some businessmen complained that the goodwill fee is too expensive.
Pinongan explained that losing bidders will be refunded of their goodwill fee.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. defended the goodwill fee, saying, “It is a common practice in business.”
Pinongan said the provincial government is still open to comments and suggestions on the IRR until May 19.
The Negros First CyberCentre is expected to generate an annual gross income of P15 million./PN
