Jamaica's Billion Dollar BPO Sector Gets Dedicated Industry Association

Jamaica, the small island country in the Caribbean’s, has long been known for its alluring locals, music and cricket. In the recent time, the country has been receiving a good deal of attention for being the rising star in the global BPO sector. All the other countries that tasted success in ICT/ BPO have their indigenous business process outsourcing associations. To keep with this practice, the key players and stake holders of Jamaican BPO sector came together, resulting in the formation of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ).

Under its Vision 2030 Plan, the country is striving to create a business environment conducive for the ICT growth, and with the formation of this association, the country takes a giant leap forward in realizing its vision.

The association was formally launched on November 9 by the Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Phillip Paulwell. The opening ceremony was held at the Vista Prints location in Catherine Hall, St. James. The ceremony was attended by other important dignitaries, including the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Anthony Hylton (left); and Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Julian Robinson.

The association will be headquartered in the City of Montego Bay and will focus on driving investment for the country’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)/Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. The association will also ensure the proper representation of operations in the sector, which has recently become a major employer.

Speaking at the official launching ceremony, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Anthony Hylton expressed hope that the association will be central to the growth of the BPO sector in Jamaica.

“By organizing yourselves, you have not only enhanced Jamaica’s reputation in the world, you are bringing even greater definition and structural integrity, to ensure that we build a BPO industry that will be a global benchmark”, Minister Hylton said in a statement.

“The BPIAJ is helping to bolster our profile in the global investment community. Investors are attracted to structure, coherence and organization, and I am very confident that the BPIAJ will bring the requisite thought, leadership and collaboration to ensure that we build an industry that will marvel the world,”   Hylton added.

According to Phillip Paulwell, Jamaica has all the right potentials to become the capital of ICT in the English-speaking Caribbean, and the entire Americas.

“If we were to claw back five per cent of the business that has gone to India or to the Philippines…we can only do that through cooperation, through collaboration and sharing information internally, so that we can attract the bigger prize from the external sources,” Paulwell commented.

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