PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced that the impending opening of two call centres in Region Two, is expected to create more than 400 employment opportunities by the first quarter of 2024.

The announcement was made, on Friday, during the launch of the annual Agro and Trade Expo at the Anna Regina Secondary School ground.

President Ali confirmed that discussions were successfully held with the company slated to operate the two call centres.

He enthusiastically said: “We are on the verge of completing the two new call centres and guess what? Three days ago, we had a meeting with a company that will be coming in to operate those two call centres. They said to me that before the end of the year, they will commence their recruitment programme here in Essequibo.”

The establishment of these call centres aligns with the government’s goal of tapping into the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) industry’s potential, which is poised to provide a minimum of 15,000 jobs across Guyana by 2025.

This initiative capitalises on Guyana’s strategic location near the Americas, favourable time zone, and an abundant supply of well-educated, young professionals.

Early last year, Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) conducted studies in Regions Two, Three, Five, Six and 10 to understand the workforce capacity and assess the potential for the expansion of BPO outlets in those regions.

Since then, construction works on a number of buildings that will house call centres across the country have started.

The PPP/C government has taken steps to promote the development of the ICT sector in Guyana, including liberalisation of the telecommunication sector and investment in ICT education.

The liberalisation of the sector has resulted in tangible benefits, including greater access to connectivity, with expansions in Linden, Essequibo and Berbice, and reduced prices.

Earlier this year, Go-Invest signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Decipher Health Records, an India-based call centre for a Healthcare Call Centre which will operate in Georgetown.

Commenting on the arrangements with Decipher, Chief Investment Officer, and Head of Go-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, had noted that the establishment of the call centre was a direct result of the level of priority that the government has been placing on investment in the BPO sector over the past few years.

“This signing is an indication of the Government of Guyana’s initiatives to create employment throughout the country and facilitate the rapid expansion of economic activities countrywide to boost the economy and support the diversification of the non-oil sector,” Dr. Ramsaroop had said.