Global Digital Services Sector Accounts for 70% of Businesses in SEZs

The Global Digital Services Sector (GDSS) accounts for approximately 70 per cent of businesses operating in the special economic zones (SEZs), making it the largest stakeholder group.

This information was shared by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA), Kelli-Dawn Hamilton, while addressing a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’.

Mrs. Hamilton said that while the Authority has many roles to fulfil, major focus is being placed on the GDSS, particularly relating to business process outsourcing entities.

“Jamaica has grown leaps and bounds within this sector… which puts us in a category of countries providing services that is second to none,” she added.

To this end, the CEO explained that partnership in this sector is extremely critical, “because it is our largest stakeholder base and we would have seen, over the years, the quality of jobs change. We have seen us move up the value chain in relation to the GDSS, and so we support, 100 per cent, the growth of this sector”.

To ensure that Jamaica remains a competitive destination for investors, the JSEZA has been working consistently with the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ).

“What we do at the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority consistently with the GSAJ is look at how competitive we are and how competitive we remain,” Mrs. Hamilton said.

Commenting on the upcoming 2023 Outsource2Jamaica Conference, being organised by the GSAJ, she said the conference has been growing from “strength to strength”.

“We would have seen the focus of the Conference shift, as we have shifted in relation to what Jamaica has to offer, and this year, we imagine that it will be even better,” she added.

The Outsource2Jamaica Conference is slated for May 10 and 11 at the Jewels Grande Montego Bay All-Inclusive Resort and Spa in St. James, under the theme ‘Ahead of the Curve’.

Artificial intelligence, metaverse, developments impacting the Internet of Things, Big Data and robotic process automation, and logistics are among the topics to be discussed during the conference.

“We will have great conversations in relation to what is the next step for us as a country that is seeking to be competitive, and we look forward to what is ahead. We have to plan for what is next and we can’t plan in silos, and this is why the Special Economic Zone Authority is at the table with the GSAJ, Port Authority of Jamaica and Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO),” Mrs. Hamilton said.