Calling centres plan to stay open

Admitting that business has been declining within the last few weeks, the Association of Calling Centres (ACC) has reaffirmed its commitment to remain open, and to continue to provide the public with its service and cheaper rates. Speaking with Newsday yesterday, spokesperson for the association, Michael Harris, said he was not sure how much of the decline was as a result of the situation arising out of the Regulated Industries Commission’s (RIC) orders for them to close their doors and apply for licences to operate legally.

Harris admitted while there has been some fallout, he was unaware of just how sustained the decline was. He said the ACC would be meeting today to discuss the ramifications of this decline, as well as other issues which he refused to elaborate on. However, he expressed some doubt as to whether the decline “was wholly and solely due to this situation.” One of the other members, Vaughn Noreiga, told Newsday that the ACC would be filing another application seeking leave for judicial review, as the first application had been hastily prepared. Noreiga said when the situation first came to light two weeks ago, with claims by TSTT that the international calling centres were operating illegally, followed by orders from the RIC to close their doors and cease operations, people were confused about what was really going on and whether there was any truth in what was being said.

However, he explained that the association has since been circulating information as to the type of service they offer, and indicating why it is not a telecommunications service, as TSTT is claiming. As a result of this move, Noreiga said there has been a 100 percent positive response from consumers, as well as positive feedback from interested persons. He also said they had been receiving calls from all over the region, and from as far away as India, Australia, Canada and the UK, with these persons echoing the association’s statement that it is not a telecommunications service. He concluded by pointing out that the calling centres were a thriving business in Jamaica and Barbados, as well as in the US.