The Ministry of Investment and the Office of the Prime Minister held a first-of-its-kind meeting yesterday with 20 call center companies that operate in Belize.
The idea was to give the BPO operations an outlet to express their concerns, talk about challenges, and make policy recommendations to continue growing this industry that already employs thousands.
Here are some of the remarks from the keynote speakers:
Narda Garcia - CEO, Office Of the Prime Minister
"A survey was conducted to identify as many BPO contact centers as possible, that are operating in the country today. At least 34 BPOs have been identified, and there may be several others. While we do have close communication with, especially the ten BPOs that are in the BPA program, this endeavor is the first approach to reach out to the other BPOs, to ensure that they know that we are also here to assist them. At the Investment Ministry, we have identified several challenges, and in an Adhoc way, we will try to assist as best as possible. We seek to incentivize existing BPOs to expand to districts that currently have no BPOs. Corozal has seen the opening of its first BPO contact center this year. When the ministry part of the deal is seeking to expand to Corozal, it contacted the BPO and offered all the help needed for it to become a reality. This assistance will be extended to any other BPO wanting to expand its services to other districts, such as Toledo and Stann Creek."
Chris Coye - Minister of State, Finance, Economic Development & Investment
"The advantages that Belize has to offer in BPO and other services are numerous. Some general advantages include a stable democracy, stable business environment, a currency pegged to the US dollar, the English speaking population, geographic proximity to North America, time zone similarity, international connectivity at competitive rates, competitive wages, competitive commercial space, rental costs, and a BPO-prioritized investment incentive program. Some unique advantages to Belize include the accent-neutral language skills of the labor force and one of the youngest workforces in the entire Latin American region, with almost 50% being bilingual in English and Spanish. Our job in government is to foster and facilitate the development of the BPO sector by supporting and enhancing these advantages, while at all times being mindful and sensitive to social and socio-economic considerations."
Gilbert Canton Jr - Chairman, DPAC
"We are here to serve you and to help you grow your industry. I have to mention again the excellent dialog we have through your representatives on the committee. And in case you don't know who they are, Miss Nubia Ramirez is right up here, at the front, Mr. Thomas here, and this Kathy Meighan as an alternate from the Chamber of Commerce back there. These guys represent you well, and if you don't know them, you should get to know them because they bring your concerns to us. We want to continue that dialog. That dialog is healthy, so keep it coming."
Both sides stressed that there are significant untapped opportunities for Belize to generate employment in higher-tier services by these BPO's.
