The Ready Call Center in Dangriga opened up in August of last year to much fanfare. Prime Minister John Briceno and area rep Dr Louis Zabaneh attended - promising that the call center would create as much as 500 jobs in the southern town.
Well, 10 months later, it has closed. Area Rep Zabaneh told us that the operation has been acquired by another outsourcing operator called Fusion which took the decision to shut down shop in Dangriga.
Zabaneh told us they are now working on getting another BPO to set up in the town.
As for Fusion, that company - based on Chetumal Street - announced in February that it was acquiring Ready Call. In a press release at the time, that company said Belize, quote, "offers a competitive price advantage compared to traditional nearshore/offshore destinations while still providing a skilled workforce. The country's proximity to the US and shared time zones create smoother working relationships with fewer cultural barriers."
For its part, Ready Call has been in Belize for 19 years and employed 2,000 persons.
