With 20,177 direct jobs at the close of 2017, call centers remain an easy entry point to the labor market. Under the incentives of the free trade zone regime, they provide opportunities for young people who work in customer service to cover their expenses or pay for a university degree that allows them to move forward.<\/p>\n
Official figures indicate that the Dominican Republic has 72 call center companies (including contact centers and BPOs) which, by the end of 2017, represented US$243 million in foreign investment\u20145.4% of the total accumulated by the free trade zones\u2014and generated 12.2% of the direct jobs that this sector contributes to the economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cCall centers contribute approximately RD$1,518.6 million annually to the domestic economy in payments for electricity, Infotep, water, social security, and telecommunications,\u201d highlights Luisa Fern\u00e1ndez, Executive Director of the National Council of Export Free Zones (CNZFE). \u201cThe total number of direct and indirect jobs generated by this activity exceeds 50,000,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n
The CNZFE emphasizes, when listing some of the advantages the Dominican Republic offers, that the country shares the same time zone as the U.S. East Coast, thus facilitating communication with the population served in that market.<\/p>\n
It cites among the incentives offered by the Dominican Republic its \u201ccultural affinity\u201d with the United States, marked by a steady migration flow, as well as the recognition by Education First placing the country second among Latin American nations in the \u201cEnglish Proficiency Index.\u201d<\/p>\n
It highlights the English Immersion Program promoted by the government through the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), which has been completed by more than 100,000 young people in recent years, as well as the large number of bilingual schools in the country.<\/p>\n
MESCyT aims to award 150,000 scholarships through the English Immersion Program for Competitiveness between 2017 and 2020, of which it granted 20,721 last year, according to its reports.<\/p>\n
The government also promotes a pilot English teaching program to boost the sector, implemented through the Institute of Technical Professional Training (Infotep). Additionally, it highlights the creation\u2014under the coordination of the Dominican Association of Free Zones (Adozona) and sponsored by CNZFE\u2014of a cluster grouping all companies operating in free zones within the sector, \u201cwith the purpose of identifying initiatives to support the development of the industry in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
The CNZFE points out that the country offers one of the most attractive fiscal incentive packages in the region, which includes a 100% exemption from main national and local taxes, according to Article 24 of Law 8-90 on the Promotion of Free Zones, dated January 15, 1990.<\/p>\n