WESTERN BUREAU - At least two companies that sent representatives to the just-concluded Summit of the Americas Conference in Montego Bay are expected to set up business in Jamaica within a year, according to Jampro - the government's investment promotions agency that helped to facilitate the conference.

"The companies are players in the industry (ICT) who are well known," Julian Robinson, Jampro's manager of investment promotions told the Observer. "Two years ago, one of the companies sent some people down here to do an assessment, to decide where they would want to set up business but they ended up going to Barbados - but now they want to come to Jamaica," he said.

Robinson did not name the companies but noted that they were both US-based.

The JAMPRO official said prior to the conference, discussions were held with the firms and based on their keen interest in setting up business in the island, they took the decision to attend the three-day long conference.

"At the conference they were able to network, and look at our facilities... and they were all very impressed," he noted.

The summit which ended on Wednesday, was part of an annual series of global business conferences organised by The Summit Circuit, headquartered in Canada.
The conference attracted more than 130 senior level executives from across the Caribbean, Latin America and North America.

Robinson, who challenged the executives on the opening day of the conference to consider investing in Jamaica, said the summit presented a great opportunity for the exchanging of ideas and for the executives to examine the advantages of setting up ICT businesses here.

"The conference was very beneficial, it provided a great opportunity for networking, the sharing of ideas and issues relating specifically to the region," the JAMPRO official said.
"Importantly for us (Jamaica) as the host country, the conference drew attention to what we are doing in the industry (ICT)," Robinson added.

Robinson, also disclosed that a US based ICT company would begin operations in Kingston by June.

"We have been talking to them for over a year-and-a-half now and they are expected to occupy a 20,000 square-foot facility.

The company, Robinson said, would start with about 300 seats.

Over the last year, the island's ICT industry has attracted millions of dollars of investment with the opening of at least three companies.

National Asset Recovery Services (NARS), VistaPrint and West Corporation are the latest investors to begin contact centre operations, creating employment for more than 1,100 persons.

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