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As many as 60 to 70 per cent small and medium BPO or outsourcing companies in the country are on the verge of collapsing due to the coronavirus pandemic, business insiders has said.
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), or the contracting of non-primary business activities to a third-party is going through a tough time in the country, seeking financial support from the government to address the challenges.
Bangladesh Association of Call Center and Outsourcing (BACCO) in a press statement on Wednesday demanded incentive from the government to help the family of over 50,000 employees in the sector.
The BPO companies are operating across the country to keep 24/7 helpline, like national emergency services 999 and the government information providing service 333 up and running amid the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, while many such companies have suspended their operations , BACCO said.
Besides, due to uninterrupted helpline services, it is possible to make doctors’ appointments and get other emergency services from home, it added.
This has been made possible because more than 150 member organisations of BACCO are working relentlessly to ensure customer services in different sectors, including telecommunication, internet, defence, e-commerce and medical, the release added.
BACCO General Secretary Touhid Hossain said despite effort to ensure maximum customer service at the risk of employees’ lives, the government has to announce any special incentive package for the sector.
If the situation persists, local companies will find it difficult to pay wages, office rent and utility bills, which will ruin 60 to 70 per cent of the BPO sector, he added.
BPO secretary urged the government to provide special incentives or soft loans to keep the $400 million sector alive, which is expected to hit the billion dollar mark by 2021.