Kingston.
Several interest groups are scheduled to meet today with tax administrators at the Ministry of Finance and Planning to discuss the impact the removal of tax incentives could have on their members."
Chairman of the Business Processing Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) Yoni Epstein, chairman of BPIAJ, told journalist his assocation was working assiduously preparing its presentation.
"We are working assiduously to prepare our presentation and would prefer not to comment on the matter until we hear what they the Ministry of Finance have to say", Epstein said.
Reports that the Government plans to remove the tax breaks sent ripples through the business process outsourcing (BPO) and information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Montego Bay, St James, with many fearing this could result in global industry giants such as ACS/Xerox and Vista Print or several Indian BPO firms like Hinduja Global Solutions closing their doors.
Jamaica's BPO-ICT sector is currently valued at US$20 million and its outsourcing sector employs some 14,000 people in addition to indirect employment, which stands at 3,000.
While its location in proximity to the United States gives Jamaica an advantage, Epstein said he believed any move to take away the tax incentives could reduce the country's competitiveness.
Among the groups slated to attend today's meeting are the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, Jamaica Exporters' Association, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and Jamaica Manufacturers' Association.
