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President of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ), Yoni Epstein (at podium), addresses the Montego Bay Free zone Company forum under the theme: ‘BPO – exploring opportunities within the sector’, which was held at the Montego Bay Community College recently, as part of the company’s 30th anniversary celebration. At the head table (from left) are: Moderator and Deputy Chairman of the Montego Bay Free zone Board, Shallman Scott; Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, and Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) President, Diane Edwards.

President of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ), Yoni Epstein, has lauded the Government for its support of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, and the impact this is having on its growth and development.

He said that he attended Parliament on March 17 to hear the Prime Minister’s Budget presentation and “I must commend her outstanding mention of the BPO sector, which continues to show that the Government is in full support of the sector.”

Mr. Epstein, who was among presenters at a recent BPO-focused forum, put on by the Montego Bay Free Zone Company as part of its 30th anniversary celebration at the Montego Bay Community College, also lauded Ministers of government for their facilitation of BPOs.

“They have really propelled the sector from where we started…to where we are today, of over 17,000 jobs,” he noted.

Mr. Epstein shared his 10-year vision for the sector, with the BPIAJ being the catalyst for the investment of over US$100 million for the provision of more than two million square feet of new space, the creation of 50,000 new jobs and the development of a “real local BPO sector” that has a stronger foothold in the sector because of the dominance of  Montego Bay Community College and  University of the West Indies-trained entrepreneurs within the sector, by the year 2025.

“I also want to be able to say that cyber crime …(and) lottery scamming are non-existent because of  the work and the framework that have been put in place by the Government, to ensure that we knock out all of the things that impede us from growing,” the President envisioned.

Mr. Epstein said this is necessary for his dream of Jamaica becoming a world leading BPO destination to be a reality.

Jamaica, he said, has the human resources with the skill sets and   wherewithal to outdo the Silicon Valleys of the world with innovative software development, cutting edge technology and a trained work force.

“If we can work together as a team, everything that I have said is possible and very much a reality and not (just) talk. But, as we grow the sector, as we collaborate more…. share best practices, get rid of the ‘crab in the barrel mentality’,  we have  to look at how we can help each other to grow,” Mr. Epstein emphasised.

Source: http://jis.gov.jm/government-lauded-support-bpo-sector/

Published Date: April 1st, 2015