Jamaica’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector continues to expand, providing jobs thus making a valuable contribution to the country’s economic recovery.

This was a major theme of Senator Aubyn Hill’s recent ‘State of the Nation’ address entitled “Building Back Stronger”.

Senator Hill is a minister of government in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

Speaking on the progress made by the BPO sector during this time of COVID, Senator Hill said: “I am really pleased to report that there is one business sector in Jamaica that stood out during this period for its resilience, strength and growth. It is the BPO sector which is part of the Global Services Association of Jamaica.”

“As of June 30,2021, the BPO sector employed 44,000 people compared to 38,400 for a similar period in 2020. That’s approximately 15 per cent increase in jobs year over year- when the economy was shrinking by over 10 per cent during the same period.”

Senator Hill who was NCB’s first Managing Director under Michael Lee Chin’s control of the bank, added that in the year to June 30, 2021, the BPO sector brought in US$780 million to the Jamaican economy.

There are now 17 operators in the sector both domestic and international occupying 105 sites across Jamaica. Ten of those operators are Fortune500 companies.

How does Jamaica intend on building upon this progress?

“Growth plans for this sector include nine new sites across Jamaica by existing players which means organic growth. There is a new investor who is about to establish a 70-seat facility in Montego Bay,” announced Senator Hill.

The BPOs operating from Jamaica serve Canada, the wider Caribbean, China, the United States, Europe and the Philippines.

Senator Hill recounted the measures put in place in the early months of the pandemic which saw Jamaicans in the BPO sector working from home.

He went on to commend the Government for moving quickly to allow BPO businesses to move their laptops and similar computing equipment to their employees’ homes – without paying duty and related fees which were avoided when the Government gave them permission to put this equipment in their normal and registered places of business.