Government Keeping and Eye on Changing BPO Sector

Earlier this week, we told you about a new U.S. bill that’s got the BPO world buzzing, the ‘Keep Call Sectors in America Act 2025.’ Sounds serious, right? Well, it is. If passed, it could change how outsourcing works by cutting off government grants and loans to companies that hire call center workers outside the U.S. The aim is to encourage companies to keep jobs within the United States. Now, that might sound like trouble for Belize’s BPO sector, but hold on. Industry leaders, including the Belizean BPO Association, say there’s no need to panic. Most of the call centers hiring Belizeans aren’t U.S.-based or tied to federal funding. So, for now, Belize seems to be in the clear. Still, the government isn’t taking any chances. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francis Fonseca, says they’re already working on ways to strengthen the industry, just in case things change down the line.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“I think we have to be concerned about it. I think we have to be, not scared, but we have to be prepared because things are changing. Things are changing. There was a lot of talk for many, for the last year or two about AI overtaking that industry. So that was the talk. Oh, we, you have to prepare for ai. And we certainly have to do that. That’s still a very serious, threat to that industry. But of course now there seems to be bipartisan support for this keep Call Centers in America bill. So we have to be looking at it. We have to be prepared for it. I know we have discussed it. Within the government we have discussed it and I know that the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance has met with the sector. They’re having discussions, talking to them about how we can work together to prepare for any changes that might come. Obviously this has been an industry that has grown tremendously over the past five years or so. We are up out to, I think, eighteen thousand people employed in that sector. So it’s a critically important secto for economy. And it’s one that we want to keep strong, so we have to be on top of this issue. But I hope that, we can find out more about the bill and make sure that our people are prepared to address any issues that arise.”

 

Reporter

“But have you all built, has your administration built its castle in the sand, so to speak? Because the tremendous unemployment, which has been beat into our heads. Really, it depends on the continued success of the BPO industry, which we do not control.”

 

Francis Fonseca

“Yeah. But it’s not a castle in the sand. It’s an evolving industry, so it’s changing like any other industry. And you have to adapt, you have to change, you have to adapt along with it. So we have a very competent team that’s looking at this issue. I know Minister Chris works very closely with the BPO sector. So I’m confident that they’re on top of it. They’re on top of it.”