Dominican Republic bullish on call centers

The president of the Dominican Republican says increasing numbers of call centers in his country are a powerful asset in the war on poverty.

President Leonel Fernandez told the Global Summit for the Americas on Tuesday that the island's 35 major call and customer-service centers provide some 12,000 Dominicans with the kinds of well-paying jobs that are otherwise tough to find.

The Dominican Today newspaper said Wednesday that Fernandez used his speech to U.S. telecom and IT executives to drum up support for expansion of the fledgling call-center industry.

"Maybe we for the first time in our history have the true opportunity to eradicate poverty and increase the standard of living of Dominicans at levels without precedents," Fernandez said.

Fernandez opined that the lowering of trade barriers in the Caribbean could increase willingness among foreign telecoms to locate operations in the country.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International