BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – The Belize government says it is closely monitoring information from the United States regarding the proposed Keep Call Centres in America Act legislation currently under consideration in the North American country.
The Ministry of Investment, through its Investment Policy and Compliance Unit (IPCU), said that over the past several years, it has stimulated the growth of Belize’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry through innovative policy directives and legislative amendments.
BPO involves hiring a third-party provider to handle specific business processes, often those that are not core to a company’s primary operations. The strategy allows companies to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and focus on their core competencies.
The ministry said that since 2024, it has also been working with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Belize BPO Association to prepare strategies, initiatives, and policies to upskill and add value to the BPO industry.
“The government of Belize’s objective is to ensure a clear path for the continued growth of the BPO industry while counteracting any potential negative impacts from industry changes,” the ministry said, adding that it is informing the general public and stakeholders currently involved in the BPO industry that two projects are currently underway to transition Belize’s BPO industry into a Global Digital Services (GDS) industry.
It said that on February 4, 2025, a contract was signed between the IDB and Congenia CYL, SL, a consultancy firm based in Spain, to prepare Belize’s Global Digital Services Investment Policy with a focus on the Orange Economy.
The ministry said the objective is to identify measures (policies and legislation), as well as programmes and activities, that will facilitate the growth of exported Global Digital Services in Belize.
“To date, the consultancy has shown that digitally deliverable services, including cloud computing, fintech, AI/machine learning, cybersecurity, telecom, and professional services, are experiencing rapid global growth, driven by connectivity, automation, and enterprise digitalization.
“Similarly, the creative and cultural services, such as film, design, publishing, animation, music, and digital content, are increasingly seen as critical pillars for economic diversification.”
On April 1 this year, another project contract titled “Consultancy to Enhance Belize’s GDS Industry by Upskilling Entry-Level and BPO Professionals for Advanced Technical Support Roles,” funded by the IDB and led by a consortium of Chamberlain Consulting Ltd (Belize-based), Socias Ltd. (Belize-based), and Rhics Ltd. (United Kingdom-based), was signed.
The ministry said the objective of the consultancy is to “strengthen Belize’s Global Digital Services (GDS) industry by developing and implementing a comprehensive skills development programme that equips the GDS workforce with advanced technical support capabilities”.
It said that, thus far, the consortium has identified that the most in-demand and currently lacking skills in Belize are cybersecurity, data analysis, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) design, and cloud engineering.
A curriculum addressing these skill sets is currently being developed, with training for 50 BPO professionals scheduled to launch in the coming months.
The ministry is urging the general public and BPO industry stakeholders to stay informed about these programmes and be prepared to take advantage of the initial 50 training spaces over the coming months.
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