KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) Vice President for Research, Advocacy and Project Implementation, Shullette Cox, says the country boasts key inputs that can potentially enhance its profile as a major business process outsourcing (BPO) destination.

“We have training that is available through our partners, the HEART Trust, [and] we have incentives under a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) regime that is modern and benchmarked against global best practices,” she said.

Cox was speaking at a CX Jamaica Investment briefing, dubbed ‘Welcome to Outsourcing Jamaica’, at JAMPRO’s head office in New Kingston on Thursday.

She also cited the Skills Development for Global Services Project, which was launched this year, and for which the Government secured Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loan funding support of US$15 million.

Cox said the five-year initiative is aimed at “developing the global services industry [by] training persons for the job… from call centre agents right up through the value chain to knowledge process workers into marketing for your company, and marketing for Jamaica as a destination for outsourcing”.

She further noted that Jamaica has enthusiastic operators who are dedicated to ensuring that the values of their clients are respected and their goals met.

“JAMPRO is your partner in the decision-making process and we stand with our partners and our clients in making that decision about Jamaica a reality… from finding the right business partner for you to finding the right team. On occasions, we have been known to find the right school if you decide you are moving your family to Jamaica,” she said.

Cox pointed out that Jamaica has become home to major players in the outsourcing industry and has been receiving continuous international recognition as a leading Caribbean destination.

She cited the country’s stimulating environment and wide range of technology support agents among the reasons companies choose the island.

“Jamaica’s macroeconomy has the most positive outlook that we have seen in decades. We are politically stable, [we have] low inflation, low unemployment, [and] low debt to GDP [and are the] highest ranked place to do business in the Caribbean [boasting the] best performing stock market in the world,” Cox stated.

Jamaica is the leading outsourcing location in the English-speaking Caribbean, with more than 60 companies offering call centre and BPO services, and employing more than 36,000 persons.

These entities include major global players, and are a combination of captives and providers, which are both local and foreign-owned.

A wide range of industries, including telecoms, banking, insurance and healthcare, are being serviced from Jamaica. Others include technology support, gaming, finance and accounting.

 The CX Jamaica Investment briefing introduced investors to business opportunities currently available in Jamaica, and featured testimonials from companies that have already invested in the country’s outsourcing sector.

The briefing, which targeted local and international investors, was part of the CX Nearshore Jamaica three-day mission that saw senior BPO and contact centre decision-makers being immersed in the country’s sector.

The delegates met stakeholders from private and public entities, and conducted site visits to investment-ready BPO spaces.

Local outsourcing company stakeholders also shared their experiences as part of efforts to further encourage the development and investment discourse around the sector.

The mission was organised by the Nearshore Americas team.

— JIS