US$6 Million Invested in BPO Facility in Portmore

A total of US$6 million has been invested in the construction of a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) facility in Portmore, St. Catherine, which is expected to provide jobs for thousands of Jamaicans, while supplying space for the growing BPO sector.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, on Tuesday, September 30, participated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Portmore Holdings Limited, Gordon Tewani; and President, University College of the Caribbean (UCC), Dr. Winston Adams, for the building of the facility.

The signing function was held at the Office of the Prime Minister in St. Andrew.

BPO is a subset of outsourcing that involves the contracting of operations and specific business functions (or processes) to a third-party service provider.

Minister Paulwell, in hailing the project, said that with the creation of the business space, Jamaica will be able to have “plug and play facilities” to attract further BPO investments.

He noted that Jamaica has a competitive edge in the sector, due to its geographical location, the ability of nationals to speak English, as well as their educational qualifications.

He noted, however, that “nothing is going to happen without business people stepping forward.” He is therefore appealing for the private sector to increase investments in the BPO sector by providing sufficient business-ready office space.

This, he said, will enable the country to further tap into the global telecommunications industry, to facilitate wealth creation and job opportunities for thousands of Jamaicans.

“Jamaica…needs large growth, we need wealth. There is nothing wrong in enabling our people to become wealthy; that is our mission. I recognise that the jobs are going to be created by people like Gordon Tewani and (through) the partnerships we are seeing here…I want the private sector to…create space,” he said.

Under the MoU 40,000 square feet of office space will be built, which will be readily scalable to 110,000 square feet, with seating for 1,500 agents.

The project is expected to provide thousands of jobs during the construction phase, and at the start of business. Some 550 persons are projected to be employed during the start-up phase with growth potential for over 1,500, as dictated by consumer demand.

During the ceremony, the UCC also signed MoUs with a number of key stakeholders to address the training needs of the over 26 BPO facilities across the island.

The institution, through its UCC Academy will facilitate the development of relevant training curricula and delivery methodology in keeping with the national growth agenda.

The signatories are: Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF), HEART Trust NTA, the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI), and the Council of Community Colleges.