$8.6 Million Earmarked for Project to Boost ICT/BPO Industry

An allocation of $8.6 million has been earmarked in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before Parliament, to commence development of the institutional and regulatory framework for Jamaica’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT)/Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.

The initiative aims to improve the sector’s competitiveness, and sustained growth.

Envisaged targets include: development of a national ICT/BPO Policy; establishing an information repository at the ICT/BPO Secretariat; designing a public education programme; and drafting progress reports on the industry’s performance.

Anticipated targets for 2015/16 include: conducting an initial review of existing national and international reports on the BPO industry and preparing a report on the sector; and reviewing existing initiatives, programmes, and plans of all government agencies involved in the ICT/BPO industry to identify areas of duplication; and recommended strategies for enhanced coordination and collaboration.

Also to be undertaken is a SWOT analysis (to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of Jamaica’s BPO industry and its potential for investment.

The project, which is slated to run until September 2017, is being implemented by the Ministry of Finance and Planning with funding from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).