The Asian Institute of Management identified Silay in Negros Occidental as among the 38 mid-sized cities on the rise in the Philippines, in terms of competitiveness in the cost of doing business, among others.

A study made by AIM Policy Center on Pinoy Cities on the Rise showed that Silay ranked sixth among 38 mid-sized cities in the Philippines in the cost of doing business, which it attributed to affordable cost of power and water, low labor cost and affordable rental rate of commercial space.

The people believe that bribery in the local government of Silay is non-existent, as shown in the AIM report, a copy of which was furnished the DAILY STAR, said. The report said it is the perception of most businessmen in the city that the local government does not intervene in the activities of the business sector as long as they follow and comply with the rules and regulations. It added that the creation of one-stop-shop processing of taxes, licenses and permits is very helpful to businessmen of Silay and also noted skilled human resources, accessibility to good schools, well-managed traffic, reasonable business taxes and a "vibrant tourism"in Silay City.

The Silay airport is being expected by the Department of Transportation and Communication to be operational in the fourth quarter of this year. While the airport is seen as bringing fast development, it can also yield ill consequences if not managed well, AIM pointed out.

Under the category of Quality of Life, Silay also ranks seventh as indicated by the good peace and order situation, City Administrator Rodney Rubica, said citing the AIM study.

The cities were rated by AIM in the cost of doing business, dynamism of local economy, linkages and accessibility, human resources and training, infrastructure use, responsiveness of local government units to business needs and quality of life.*GPB

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