Gov’t Looking to Further Expand Jamaica’s BPO Sector  

• The Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce is looking to further expand the local business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, said the sector remains a vital asset to Jamaica’s labour force.
• He noted that “It is a sector which the Ministry has a special interest in expanding; BPO is vital to us. We have to find new areas and new ways to employ our people and the skills business, the knowledge business is where we are going to have to expand.”
• Currently, it is estimated that the BPO sector contributes approximately $136 billion to the Jamaican economy annually, noting that this is equivalent to about six per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) annually. He emphasized that training and upskilling of citizens are critical to creating a fit-for-purpose workforce to respond to the demands of the modern labour market.
• Minister Hill was addressing the official opening of 76 Red Hills Road (RHR) Business Centre in Kingston on Wednesday (May 31). It is approximately 140,400 sq. ft. and includes 97,200 sq ft. of BPO facilities, which will yield roughly 1,800 direct jobs with additional indirect employment.
• This initiative is a significant investment within the Red Hills Road community and within the context of the Special Economic Zones and the business process outsourcing sector. This investment is an approved SEZ development business centre and is an important addition to Jamaica’s economic growth efforts.

(Source: JIS News)