Chamber President Commends IT Workers in Mo-Bay Free Zone

Newly elected President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nathan Robb, has commended workers in the Montego Bay Free Zone for providing quality service to “high-value” clients.

“Having had an extensive tour of the Free Zone, for the first time, I have a new found respect for those thousands of young Jamaicans who work in the business processing sector. I saw them at their best, and I saw them giving value,” he said.

The President was speaking at a meeting on May 27, held at the Sunset Resort, in Montego Bay, where an update on the Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, to be held from June 16-19 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, was provided by State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Arnaldo Brown.

“Quite often we criticize young people and paint a picture of them as being worthless. I am telling you, you need to see those thousands of young persons there dealing with high-value clients,” Mr. Robb emphasized.

He noted that representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were also on the visit, and they were impressed at the service provided at the call centres by Jamaicans.

“They were totally amazed with the high value clients, and the fact that our young Jamaicans were dealing with it totally unscripted. These are areas that do exist in Western Jamaica, and we intend to fully participate in development that is going to be for the long term benefit of Jamaica, and all of us in Western Jamaica,” Mr. Robb said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, said investors are pleased with the Montego Bay area for their call centre operations, and that expansions for the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) type operations are on the horizon for Mandeville, Portmore and other parts of the island.

“We believe that Montego Bay is the centre of the IT industry, and investors want to come to Montego Bay. When you show them elsewhere, they generally prefer to come to Montego Bay. The city has the infrastructure, the community colleges, and the requisite persons who are trained in the area, and it is a beautiful area, and they like to live here,” the State Minister said.

Mrs. Ffolkes-Abrahams said that investors in India and the Philippines want to come to Jamaica, “because we are near to the United States of America, and we speak English very well.”

She pointed out that a company, Vistaprint, came and has now relocated its headquarters to Montego Bay, because of the people.

“Our value is in the people, and the people are able, the people are willing, and they must have the opportunity to (provide quality service),” the State Minister said.

Contact: Garfield L. Angus