“A request has been made to the Government to continue with this facility until the end of 2020 so that sites can continue to practise social distancing, but more importantly, keep workers safe and employed,” said Gloria Henry, president of the GSAJ, formerly the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica.

The temporary closure of all non-essential BPO operations across the island for 14 days will expire on June 4, but with companies realising significant savings in operational costs, some are considering broadening the work-at-home service.

Daryl Vaz, who heads the BPO caucus of the Government’s Economic Recovery Task Force, has approved several new protocols to ensure that all operators implement preventative measures against the transmission of COVID-19.

“As much as 89 of the country’s 91 BPOs have been inspected, and the number of satisfactory ones, so far, is 57,” Vaz told a recent COVID-19 press conference at Jamaica House, adding that those numbers should increase gradually as inspections were ongoing.

“Jamaica is a natural fit for business process and knowledge process and global-services operations, and we will intensify our efforts in this regard, which will include improvements to our legal and regulatory framework and expanding our investment portfolio in the infrastructure to support the BPO industry,” Holness said.