MANILA -- The Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) seeks to establish a new industry roadmap by the first quarter of 2019, in a bid to recalibrate its targets to stay relevant in an ever-changing business environment.
IBPAP President and Chief Executive Officer Rey Untal told reporters that he will be recommending to the IBPAP board some revisions in the current roadmap, including projections on jobs and revenues for the next three years.
The IT and business process outsourcing (ITBPO) sector is currently implementing a roadmap that runs until 2022. It targets to be a USD39-billion industry in the next four years.
During the International Innovation Summit that concluded Tuesday, IBPAP Chair Lito Tayag said the industry grew by 4 percent in the past 18 months in terms of revenues and headcount compared to end-2016.
Tayag said the industry has created a total of 1.19 million jobs and earned USD23.8 billion in revenues over the past 18 months against the 1.14 million jobs and USD22.9 billion at end-2016.
Untal noted that the industry has slowed down since 2017 with the uncertainties brought by global and local political and policy developments.
“The issue is not so much about eventual passage of tax reform. To a large extent, we had been affected by uncertainties what will be the ending numbers,” the IBPAP president said.
“In 2017, we are impacted by the protectionist stand, colorful language around economic concerns, and issues, which really delivered a strong wait-and-see attitude in 2017. But unfortunately, it prevailed and continued,” he added.
Untal mentioned that the IBPAP’s new industry roadmap will also focus on policy shaping to intensify the private sector’s coordination with policymakers and legislators for them to better understand the ITBPO industry.
Moreover, the industry group welcomes the statement of Senator Juan Edgardo Angara that his committee will protect the gains of the ITBPO sector by pushing for fiscal incentives supporting the growth of the industry amid the rationalization of tax perks.
“We are pleased with his pronouncement to protect this industry. There will be a sustained effort around the policy shaping front that you can expect from IBPAP and partner industries,” Untal said. (PNA)
