Peak Outsourcing Eyes 300 Hires as U.S. Bill Threatens BPO Growth

When we hear about Belize’s growing economy, the tourism and agriculture industries are typically credited with the rise, but one sector has been booming in recent years- Business Process Outsourcing. The BPO sector plays a vital role in driving down unemployment rates, but a new U.S. bill is now posing a threat to Belize. It’s called the ‘Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025’ and if passed, call centers based in the U.S would lose access to federal loans and grants. So, what does this mean for Belize? We sought to answer that very question in this week’s edition of the Five Point Breakdown. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with that report.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Peak Outsourcing wants you on their team. The Belize-based call center is aiming to hire three hundred Belizeans by the end of 2025, and so far, they’re growing steadily. But there’s a potential roadblock. A new U.S. bill, the Keep Call Centers in America Act, is threatening to shake up the outsourcing industry. Introduced last month, the bill aims to keep jobs in the U.S. by limiting federal perks like grants and loans for companies that outsource overseas. Why the push? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, America could lose around one hundred and fifty thousand call center jobs to foreign markets by 2033. To break it all down, we spoke with Sab Badee, CEO of Global Com, another Belize-based BPO.

What is the Keep BPOs In America Act 2025?

 

Sab Badee, Chief Executive Officer, Global Com

“What it’s basically entailing is just the companies that are using call centers abroad, which is basically almost all the companies out there, the outsourcing is needed one hundred percent. It’s not an industry that’s gonna survive in America. And at the end of the day, they just need to basically. Present it to say that publicly we are using another company outside of America for it, and it makes it more difficult for them to get accepted for federal government loans, federal grants, government loans.”

 

The bill proposes that all call centers outsourcing employees be listed as ineligible for new grants and loans and employers with existing awards must pay a monthly penalty. It further calls for agencies to give preference to U.S. employers that do not appear on the list when awarding contracts. So, what does this mean for Belize? Executive Director of BELTRAIDE Ishmael Quiroz says it’s unclear what the direct impact will be on Belize at this time.

 

Will Belize’s BPO Sector be Impacted by the Bill?

 

Ishmael Quiroz, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE

“ So it’s certainly something that we need to monitor with concern to see how things pan out. We know that things are generally fluid in this regard in, in terms of the various policies coming out of the us. Certainly looking at it carefully, however, in discussing closely with the sector, we understand that police doesn’t necessarily stand to be directly impacted, at least not immediately. There are ways in which we are protected. For example, the fact that most of our BPOs are private entities and not necessarily dependent or accessing federal funding and other aspects in terms of the diversification of their clientele.”

 

There are about eighteen thousand Belizeans formally employed in the BPO sector, a number that’s rising each year. But with new changes on the horizon, some folks are starting to ask: Is now really the right time to jump in? Naim Polanco, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Peak Outsourcing, isn’t too concerned with the bill.

 

Are BPO’S concerned About the Bill?

 

Naim Polanco, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Peak Outsourcing

“One of the positive things we have here in Belize is that most of our BPOs are private. They’re based in the Philippines for most of them. I believe that what the US is trying to do is just cut on the federal grant companies who are having access to that federal grant and ensuring that they can actually get back those jobs into the US because they’re getting federal grants. But I don’t foresee Belize being affected much because most of our companies are private, owned, and based somewhere else rather than in the US.”

 

AI is changing the game, and fast. The new U.S. bill wants companies to report job losses tied to AI in customer service, especially for federal call center work. But Victoria Tun, Director of Talent at Protel, says humans aren’t going anywhere just yet. She believes Belize has a unique edge in outsourcing, even as tech evolves.

 

Why do Call Centers Gravitate Towards Belizeans?

 

Victoria Tun, Director of Telent, Protel

“They come to us because of our English language. We have that as our strength. When you’re going out to these other regions, you get the labor at a cheaper market, but yet you have to pay for the Ais and the other programs, robotic programs to cover the accent neutrality. And that is where their expense is going.”

 

According to the Belize BPO Association, U.S. companies are unlikely to shift operations back home, simply because it’s too expensive to run call centers stateside. Still, the Government of Belize isn’t taking any chances. It’s investing in the sector to prepare for global changes and transition into a full-fledged Global Digital Services hub. One major initiative, backed by the IDB, is training fifty BPO professionals in high-demand skills like cybersecurity, data analysis, and UI design. Frantz Smith, Policy Officer at the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit, says that’s just the beginning. He shares more on how Belize is gearing up to future-proof its outsourcing industry.

 

BPO Sector Prepares for Critical Transition

 

On the Phone: Frantz Smith, Policy Officer, Investment Policy & Compliance Unit

“So we the first consultancy was along the lines of trying to prepare the policies and the strategies. So going into more of the creative part of the global digital services ranging from things like architecture and the more technical side, towards also things like animation, music, publishing design on the more orange side. So basically we are trying to do, we are trying to create a policy that will allow more diversification.”

 

Industry stakeholders are keeping an eye on new developments coming to the industry but are confident that, with the support of the government and the public, the sector will continue to thrive for many years to come. Britney Gordon for News Five.