(Jamaica Observer) The Government has set a target to facilitate the build-out of 500,000 square feet of space for the business processing industry over the next three to five years as part of its plan to double information and communication technology (ICT) jobs in Jamaica over that period.
According to Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, the drive to expand the sector will be backed by a US$20-million (J$1.72-billion) lending facility aimed at encouraging private sector involvement in the infrastructure build-out while the Government has already initiated several projects that will take the sector almost halfway towards its goal.
“There is a shortage of space (for housing business processing centres)… we are pursuing a number of areas: The Factories Corporation of Jamaica is pursuing a 100,000 sq ft facility in Naggo Head, St Catherine; there is a 22-acre property that we are developing for a publicprivate partnership that we will make available to investors to expand, and the Port Authority is now putting out the tender for the design specs for the establishment of another 100,000 sq ft in Montego Bay,” Tufton told reporters and editors at the weekly Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters yesterday.
Even then, there are private interests that are currently expanding in the western city, such as a facility being built by Montego Bay businessman Mark Kerr-Jarrett, while mobile firm Digicel has already undertaken an arrangement with the Government for its data centre.
Tufton reckons that prospects in ICT now represent for Jamaica what tourism did a few years ago.
“[This is] In terms of potential for growth, in terms of the job-creating potential, in terms of economic activity potential, and in terms of the advantages we have as a near-shore destination with a culture that can be easily understood and can be leveraged and transmitted to our key markets, primarily the United States,” he said. “We are 11,000 (jobs) now, I don’t see why we can’t get up to 25,000 over three to five years.”
Aside from the half-million sq ft of space that is proposed, the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) through PetroCaribe will be providing support through a US$20-million financing facility being made available for ICT build-out.
“We are looking for local investors to build out space,” Tufton added.
However, he said that reviewing the Cyber Crimes Law, developing marketing strategy and further establishing training institutions for the industry are “critical to attracting ICT investors here in Jamaica”.
“A major hindrance to ICT is the possibility of cyber crimes — getting data and exploiting that data,” said Tufton. “We are reviewing the law to try to find more effective ways of enforcing and preventing this type of deviant behaviour from taking place.
“We are now in the process of segmenting the international marketplace, looking at the higher-end, higher-value ICT opportunities that are available and negotiating with major players towards trying to attract some,” he said.
Importantly, Tufton said the strategy needs to involve moving up the value chain from mere call centres “so you could have accountants working in the business information, business processing sector”.
Regarding training, the ministry is “in the final stages of an agreement with HEART and we are talking to UTech in order to develop a training module… in fact, looking at establishing a specific institution working with HEART for training in the ICT sector”, he said.
