The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector has developed in Moldova and the authorities anticipate this will grow further. There are yet no official data, but a study conducted recently shows that most of the companies use information technology, but others are oriented to the externalization of the business processes – commercial services, telecommunications, banking activities, transport, etc. This sector, as the IT sector, practically does not face export barriers, does not need clearance, difficult certification and the effort on the part of the authorities and entrepreneurs for providing such services is minimal. Such statements were made in a news conference staged by the Investment Agency “Invest Moldova”, IPN reports.
The study was carried out by Magenta Consulting during May 13-20 and covered persons from the management of 20 companies. There were analyzed primary data collected as part of the survey and existing data for getting a broader picture of the BPO sector in Moldova.
About 200 companies were contacted, but many of them refused to take part given that they are still in the gray zone. The research data show that nine of the 20 companies plan to extend the area of activity. It was determined that these companies provide services from Moldova for Romania, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Belgium, France, the U.S and other countries.
As a rule, the clients of these companies ask for English in the provision of services (17 companies out of 20), but Romanian, French, Russian, German and Italian are also in demand. The 20 interviewed companies employ 1,584 persons who represent all the age categories, primarily the youth. During the first six months of the year, the number of employees in seven companies increased, while in 13 companies remained unchanged. Over half of the companies intend to hire more people. Besides rewards, the companies attract employee through such advantages as training, flexible program, possibility of working remotely, foreign language courses, etc.
Minister of Economy Sergiu Gaibu told the news conference that the international business community realizes that many of the services can be provided from a distance given the continuous digitization process. This fact generated the development of a whole sector all over the world and it further depends on the capacity, flexibility, knowledge of the profession and foreign languages. Moldova has all the capacities in this regard and many of the companies with Moldovan specialists achieved results in the provision of services to other states.
“We, as part of the Government, work on the institution of a facilitates regime for creating comfort so that such companies, entrepreneurial initiatives focus on the provision of services not on bureaucracy and we become a competitive country on the international market in this growing sector,” noted the minister.
Investment Agency “Invest Moldova” director Stelian Manic said this sector is expected to expand significantly and discussions with two international companies operating in this field were held recently. “This sector in the Republic of Moldova has simply enormous potential. I don’t think we can attract companies of such a scale so easily to any other economic area” stated Stelian Manic.
Vyacheslav Sutkevich, component manager at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), said that this industry has great potential for the development of the country. It should also serve as a pillar for diversifying the development industries alongside the industries that can create jobs and can ensure the sustainable development of the national economy. It is an industry that enables to concentrate it not only in the capital city, but also in the country’s regions and abroad.
