KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to build a bypass in Montego Bay to ease the flow of traffic and facilitate a more productive environment.

“The Government has a role to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to facilitate greater investment. We are committed to building that (Montego Bay) bypass. We don’t want to make errors so we are now in the process of doing all the studies. We are doing designs to see the best place to get the alignment for the bypass. I want to reassure the people of Montego Bay, that I am right behind the bypass to get it done,” said Holness.

The prime minister made the commitment yesterday during his keynote address at the fifth anniversary celebration of Itelbpo Smart Solutions located in the Montego Bay Freezone.

In addition to creating the proper infrastructure, Holness pointed out that government is also working to address another constraint to the growth of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry— the labour force.

Holness underscored the need for a trained workforce to keep a pace with the demand for the services required in Jamaica. This he said will be addressed through the HOPE programme which is specifically designed to develop the knowledge and skills of young people and more importantly adjust their attitude so that they are work ready and in a frame of mind to be productive.

“We give that commitment to this industry which we see as the critical growth industry for Jamaica’s development. If we invest in it as a partnership – government supporting and business supporting, we should be able make a significant dent on youth unemployment in Jamaica. Once we start to have an impact on youth unemployment that is when we really start to have an impact on crime and violence”, the prime minister asserted.

Holness said the growth of the BPO industry is a show of confidence in the economy. He said the government is committed to creating an environment that continues to build confidence for investors so they can take risks and create jobs for Jamaicans.

Itelbpo officially opened in June 2012 with seven employees and has since then expanded to a workforce of 1,000 employees in Jamaica.