JAMAICA is expected to roll out soon, measures to address the issue of scamming within the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

“The policymaking people are working. There are two or three security companies in Jamaica who are taking an initiative. It will be announced in about three to six months,” said president of the Global Services Association of Jamaica Anand Biradar.

“[It’s] a very targeted solution to the problem.. So, I am very enthused that the Government and the private sector are actively looking to solve the issue.”

He was speaking with the Jamaica Observer at the recently concluded Outsource2LAC (O2LAC) Global Digital Services Summit – Jamaica 2023. Biradar, who in his presentation touted Jamaica as a good place to do business, was asked to reconcile that assessment within the context of the perception that fraudsters have infiltrated the lucrative BPO sector.

Asked to weigh in on the issue, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Aubyn Hill said he was unable to speak to the policies Biradar referenced, as the details would be discreet.

While strides have been made over the years to improve the image of the BPO industry, the negative perception of some members of the public remains.

In March the Observer reported that a call centre worker was dragged before the St James Parish Court for allegedly stealing a customer’s credit card information from the system and using it to make an illegal purchase.

Biradar, who is also head of global delivery for the Americas at Sagility, acknowledged the public’s general concerns.

“Those concerns are everywhere. Obviously, it is a lot more obvious to us here in Jamaica [but]… we operate in multiple countries and it is the same scenario. And it is not just emerging economies; even developed economies have the same problem. As technology advances there will always be opportunities for people to take the wrong path,” he argued.

Both men were participants at the conference held in Montego Bay last Wednesday and Thursday. The Inter-American Development Bank’s Integration and Trade Sector-created summit was organised by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce through Jamaica Promotions Corporation, with strong support from ConnectAmericas.

The event provided a platform for participants to exchange views on the latest trends in the global services sector, and identify business opportunities for SMEs within Latin America and the Caribbean.

Now in its ninth staging, this is the first time the O2LAC is being held in an English-speaking country within Latin America.