Disaggregate BPO data from other sectors, says Wehby

JAMPRO Chairman Senator Don Wehby has supported a call by the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) for the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) to disaggregate the sector from other services.

Wehby said the country has seen the relatively new business process outsourcing industry (BPO) grow to over 30,000 jobs and millions of investment dollars into the Jamaican economy over the last few years.

He said that JAMPRO has facilitated multiple outsourcing investments in the past 10 years and, as a result, more than over 50 outsourcing companies have made the country their preferred location to provide services for customers all over the world.

Progress

"It is because of this progress I have witnessed in the BPO sector, that I must support the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica's call for the Statistical Institute of Jamaica to move expeditiously in establishing a methodology of disaggregating the 'Other Services' category so that we may assemble a body of data on the BPO industry that can underpin future decision making."

In a statement over the weekend, Webby said "this is in keeping with a memorandum of understanding that was signed between JAMPRO and STATIN to address the availability of data for a number of areas, including specialized areas such as outsourcing".

He said that currently, STATIN's economic data covers traditional sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and mining, but does not reference BPO and other service industries such as tourism, which span several vertical sectors.

This leads to the BPIAJ, JAMPRO and other industry stakeholders turning to international and local partners to determine jobs created and the potential impact of BPO on the economy, Wehby added.

"As we get closer to achieving our 2030 development goals, and we evaluate and prioritize the sectors of opportunity in Jamaica, we must look at a targeted, data -driven approach to economic development, where we are aware of actual performance of priority sectors and their contribution to the economy. With official data from STATIN, the trusted government body for the country's statistics, we will be able to do just that and have full appreciation of the BPO sector's contribution to the Jamaican economy," he said.

"JAMPRO remains committed to furthering the dialogue with STATIN to get a full view of an industry that is currently a propeller of Jamaica's economic growth. BPO is here to stay, and we must have a better understanding of its present and future role in our country's economy, in order to make more informed decisions," he added.