According to the Minister, if the proposal should become a law in the U.S., such a trend would be inimical to the growth of the local information technology (IT) sector in Jamaica, especially with regards to the U.S. off-shore call centres located in the island. "There are some lawmakers who are recommending to the U.S. Congress a law that will require call centres to indicate upfront to customers, where they are located. And one of the reasons behind this is to discourage offshore facilities," said Minister Paulwell at the official opening of the National Asset Recovery Services Inc., a call-centre located in the Cazoumar Freezone in Montego Bay. "I want to ask for your support in writing to your congressmen and women, in discouraging the enactment of such a legislation."

The proposal for identifying call centres first surfaced in New Jersey some four months ago, and since then some other states have thrown their weight behind the recommendation. But, Mr. Paulwell sees such a policy as being contrary to efforts at globalisation.

In an interview with The Sunday Gleaner after the opening ceremony on Friday afternoon, he argued that the Jamaican IT landscape would do better without any policy which retards its growth.

"That would have a negative effect we believe on the industry. It is certainly not going to enable us to grow in the way we want to and for American investors to find opportunities for more efficient operations in the Caribbean," said Mr. Paulwell, as he elaborated on his concerns about the proposed legislation. "So we are going to be lobbying, very, very heavily against it and we are seeking support from our American colleagues."

Turning his attention to factors affecting the IT sector at home, Minister Paulwell points to the shortage of office space for establishing IT entities and urges the private sector to do more to access government incentives in assisting them with the provision of office space.

In the meantime, the National Asset Recovery Services (NARS) which officially opened its doors on Friday afternoon, began operations in June this year, offering services in debt collection, telemarketing and help desk assistance.

This receivables management company which currently employs some 450 persons is poised to more than double its job opportunities in Montego Bay, within a year.

"We have between 400 and 500 employees at this point, and this facility will hold somewhere around 1,000 people. We hope to grow to 1,000 hopefully in the next 12 months," an upbeat Christopher Buehrle, President of NARS told The Sunday Gleaner.

BRIGHT PROSPECTS

Mr. Buehrle feels there are bright prospects for the expansion of his company in the island. "The more we produce to the liking of our clients, the more business they place and the more people we can employ. We are certain that we can expand in Jamaica in a short time from now," he said.

NARS which has been in existence in the United States since 1993, has its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. While declining to be specific on how much financing his company ploughed into establishing NARS in Montego Bay, Mr. Buehrle conceded that the amount spent was less than US$5 million. Mean-while, although Stephen Dear, vice-president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, is excited about the increase in employment opportunities in the IT sector, he is not satisfied that the Government is doing enough to stimulate buoyancy in that industry.

Appealing to the Patterson administration to deposit more resources into developing the IT sector, Mr. Dear insisted that the Government should put more financing into training programmes in the IT sector, establishing IT facilities and granting tax incentives for companies which are in the sector or would like to establish such businesses.

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