More IT, BPO professionals needed

To achieve US $ 2 billion revenue:

Harshini Perera

Sri Lanka needs to increase the quantity of IT/BPO professionals without compromising on quality for the industry to grow, a senior industry official said. It will enable Sri Lankan IT BPO industry to achieve the US $ two billion revenue in five years time, IFS South Asia Vice President Jayantha De Silva told Daily News business.

Sri Lanka has earned US $ 275 million turnover last year. It was placed as the fifth largest income generator in the world in IT BPO sector.

It is also expected to create 400,000 direct job opportunities and 300,000 indirect job opportunities in five years.

De Silva said Sri Lanka has been catering in specialized fields to the needs of the international market in the IT/BPO sector. This is a good signal that Sri Lanka can be a fast growing country in the region for specialized fields like finance and the telecommunication sector in the BPO industry.

The Government has taken initiatives to promote Sri Lanka as a destination for BPO the industry and support from officers in foreign missions is highly expected in this venture.

“They will be the marketing strategy of Sri Lanka in the future” he said.

The growth rate in the industry was 23 percent during 2006/7 while the industry had a huge impact from the global recession in the past two years. Compared with other industries, the IT BPO industry has over 90 percent of value addition in it.

The need of qualified professionals to the industry still remains marginal and the current professional base is around 30,000.

The SLASSCOM together with ICTA has taken numerous measures to increase the number of professionals into the industry and also to qualify them with external educational qualifications. “We have taken action to gather all stakeholders into one forum and expects to establish a strong CIO council with public, private sector stakeholders and banks.

“We have been building awareness among school children while we strengthen the capacities of the University students,” De Silva said.

Sri Lanka can cater to European countries and also countries in the region such as Bangladesh and Singapore. Sri Lanka is superior in conceptual thinking and the adaptability is far ahead of competing countries like Egypt, Philippines and Vietnam.

“Sri Lanka can improve in IT BPO industry because it does not restrict to a specific geographical location. IT BPO can promoted even in remote areas once it is enabled with necessary infrastructure facilities such as broadband and electricity,” he said.