ADITYA Birla Minacs (Minacs), a Canadian-based Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) firm plans to double its workforce in Jamaica to 500 amidst government’s drive to increase BPO factory space, according to Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO).

“They started with 250 jobs and are looking to expand to 500 jobs in the next 18 months,” stated JAMPRO head Sancia Bennett-Templer in an interview with the Observer following her address at a workshop geared to

improve Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Kingston, Jamaica.

Minacs’ Jamaican workers perform data and accounting functions on behalf of overseas clients. These jobs require greater training and skill than previous call centre jobs,

she explained.

“They do back office accounting and human resource management, they create good quality employment and they are looking for more workers,” stated Bennett-Templer about the company which started in Jamaica in late 2009 in Montego Bay. The Observer was unable to contact Minacs up to print for further details. However JAMPRO wants to utilise Minacs as a mini-model for further expansion of BPO firms in Jamaica.

“JAMPRO views BPO as a growth area,” stated Templer who added that currently the government owned Factory Corporation is receiving tenders for the construction of a 100,000 square foot facility in Naggo Head, Portmore for BPO operations; whilst the proposed government-led Caymanas Economic Zone will have some 10 per cent earmarked for BPO operations. “There are new jobs in ICT (Information Communication and Technology) and we are finding that there is a lot of potential for growth,” she said.

Government under Jamaica’s National Export Strategy (NES) wants to double annual contact centre/BPO earnings by $150 million by 2012; establish a venture capital fund to support the ICT industry which is projected to provide an estimated US$11 million per year for the sector, attract 15 foreign contact centre/BPO service providers to the country and facilitating the set up of at least five local BPO service providers.

The ICT sector is another of the priority industries within the NES through which the country can benefit from increased inflows of foreign exchange. The ICT sector has generated net foreign exchange earnings of approximately US$199.2 million for Jamaica between 2001 and 2005. Exports from the call centre industry alone is estimated to be between US$300-400 million from the 22 contact centres operating in Jamaica. However, only four of those firms are local companies which means that profits are often expatriated from Jamaica.

Minacs is a leading business solutions company that partners with global corporations in the manufacturing, retail, telecom, technology, media and entertainment, banking, insurance, health care and public sectors. It leverages years of process, domain and technology expertise to deliver superior business value to clients with our seamless Customer Life cycle, Marketing, Finance and Accounting, Procurement and IT solutions and services.

The company has “16,000 Minacs experts across three continents and 32 centres spanning Canada, Germany, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Philippines, the UK and USA power our solutions through a global delivery model that helps our clients enhance revenues, profitability and customer service”.