Prime Minister John Briceño has announced a dual-focused approach to Belize’s burgeoning Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, pledging aggressive action against fraudulent operations while defending the industry’s substantial economic contributions. The government’s renewed vigilance follows investigative reports by News Five revealing sophisticated credit card scams originating from within call center operations.
Briceño emphasized the necessity of pursuing scammers targeting both domestic and international victims with equal determination. “I agree with you 100% that we need to go after anyone that’s scamming, not only our citizens, but people outside of Belize from these BPOs,” the Prime Minister stated during his interview with News Five.
The crackdown initiative gains urgency amid concerns about legislative adequacy. Businessman Lee Mark Chang previously received police confirmation that existing laws, including the 2021 Electronic Funds Transfer Act, lack sufficient enforcement mechanisms despite victims retaining the right to file formal complaints.
While acknowledging he hadn’t received direct complaints from Chang, Briceño confirmed awareness of concerns raised with law enforcement agencies. He called for strengthened measures to ensure successful prosecution of fraudulent operators, questioning “How is it that we can go after these scammers? And we need to go to them to the full extent of the law.”
Concurrently, the Prime Minister highlighted the BPO sector’s critical economic role, revealing it employs over 20,000 Belizeans and distributes more than $150 million in annual salaries. Briceño expressed gratitude for the industry’s contributions, emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring legitimate companies “can feel safe to operate here” through enhanced regulatory oversight and enforcement protocols.