Earnings from business process outsourcing (BPO) would cross the $1-billion mark in the next five years from $130 million a year at present, Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy said yesterday.
“The sector currently employs around 25,000 people; our target is to cross two lakh in the next five years,” Joy said, speaking as the chief guest at the opening of a two-day BPO summit at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
The ICT Division, in collaboration with Bangladesh Association of Call Centre and Outsourcing, is hosting the first-ever event of its kind with an aim to brand Bangladesh as an ideal place for investment and business management.
A total of 79 local and nine international analysts are attending the summit.
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said the government has a target to earn $3 billion from the ICT sector by 2021 and BPO can contribute $1 billion to the earnings.
“To fulfil the government’s vision, we are trying to build the ecosystem for BPO,” said Palak. The government has decided to establish 554 BPO centres within a short time.
Reiterating his commitment to help flourish the country’s ICT sector, Joy said it is his personal goal to make Bangladesh’s IT exports exceed earnings from garment exports. “It might take five years, might take 10 or 20 years, but the export earnings of the IT sector would surpass the garment sector in future.”
The government declared BPO as a thrust sector and that will also help the sector increase its earnings, according to the association of call centres and outsourcing.
The industry earnings were $4 million in 2008, rising to $12 million in 2012, $52 million in 2013, $82 million in 2014 and $130 million so far this year, according to the platform.
Joy also said the government is giving importance to ICT training so that the next generation can become ICT entrepreneurs, ICT experts or outsourcing technicians to help the sector grow and drive the economy as well.
“We want to move up the value chain, we want to move up from the industrial society to a knowledge-based society and for that, ICT will be our enabler,” Joy said. “We want to secure our youths’ employment here, where they can ensure their future as well.”
He also emphasised the growth of the local consumer market.
“We hope to become a developed country, not just a middle-income country. Our economy has to become a consumer-driven economy. That is the vision of Digital Bangladesh.”
Six years ago, there was nothing digital in government services, but now, 70 percent to 80 percent of government services are in a digital format, he said.
Sharing a personal story of his days as a student in Bangalore, Joy said, “There was no outsourcing industry in Bangalore 22 years back, but India has become the number one outsourcing destination in the world. If it is possible in Bangalore, why not in Bangladesh?”
Imran Ahmed, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on posts, telecom and ICT ministry, said the Philippines earns $16 billion from BPO a year, which is 12 percent of its gross domestic product.
Santiago Gutierrez, chairman of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA), said Bangladesh is surrounded by countries that found success in BPO, so it is a matter of time to get success in this field.
Referring to his own country, Gutierrez said Mexico earned only $50 million from BPO in 2000 and now the amount reached more than $6 billion. “I think BPO can do miracles for Bangladesh in the next few years,” said Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
ICT Secretary Shyam Sunder Sikder and President of the association Ahmadul Hoq Bobby also spoke. More than 20,000 people including corporate, institutional and individual buyers are expected to attend the two-day summit. There is a facility for on-the-spot recruitment at the summit as well.
Source: The Daily Star
