ICT Investors Interested in Jamaica

As Government’s efforts to secure increased investments in Information Communication Technology (ICT) begins to bear fruit, special envoy with responsibility for ICT in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Ambassador Patrick Casserly, said that a “very large player” will be coming to the island soon. He said that others are in line to visit and explore investment opportunities in the sector.

Mr. Casserly, who was addressing the Jamaica Exporters’ Association’s Breakfast Forum yesterday morning (November 10) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, said the country has the potential to attract huge investment in ICT to create jobs and grow the economy. He said Jamaica has the advantage of location and ranks among the top destinations for outsourcing activities among English-speaking countries.

He noted also that Jamaica’s culture converges with that of United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, driven largely by the media, the country’s exports and interaction with the peoples of those countries. Mr. Casserly pointed to the need for increased focus on education and training as key ingredients in realising the potential of the ICT sector.

“One of the challenges, as we go forward, is ensuring that our population is properly educated and properly aligned so that we can answer clearly, but also give proper content,” he stated. While lauding the contribution of call centres to the growth of Jamaica’s ICT industry, he argued that it is time to look to other areas of the sector.

He further encouraged those exporters, who have their customer service operations in other countries to “bring it home. You have to have confidence in where you are based.”

Source – JIS