ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, says the business environment in Jamaica has improved significantly, with investors now more willing to take risks.

The prime minister, who was addressing the grand opening of an itelbpo Smart Solutions facility in Freeport, St James on October 4, said he has been attending several similar opening and ground-breaking ceremonies in recent times.

“I do this because it drives home the point that great things are happening in Jamaica. I am doing two or three per week.

“It is amazing what is happening in Jamaica and it is showing the psychology of economics; confidence,” he said, noting that the Government is making it easier for persons to calculate “what the risk factors are, project what the future will be and where you can make wise investments”.

The prime minister said the fact that persons are willing to take risks with their money puts the impetus on the Government to put the measures in place where they can be successful. 

“When the owners of capital take the risk and create employment, everyone should be appreciative and try to ensure that the capital is successful,” he stressed.

The prime minister pointed out that the Government is working to create a sustainable cycle of economic growth and job creation.

“We understand that this is the partnership that the Government must continue to nurture. We also want employees to know that they are a part of the risk and should value the fact that employment has been created to their benefit. It all works together in a nice partnership,” he said.

For his part, itelbpo co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Yoni Epstein, said the company has “developed exponentially” since its inception in 2012.

He informed that itelbpo has grown from a small business process outsourcing (BPO) operator with seven employees in Jamaica to a large global competitor with more than 1,000 employees in Montego Bay; Kingston; The Bahamas; and Tampa, Florida.

Over the past five years, the company has serviced a range of clients across sectors such as hospitality, telecommunications, utilities, medical billing and transportation, he pointed out.

Services include sales, booking, web chat, social media coordination and Google PPC management, quality assurance and payment services.

Itelbpo Smart Solutions is Jamaica’s largest locally owned BPO and contact centre management firm.

The function also marked the company’s fifth anniversary celebrations.