{"id":17125,"date":"2018-07-01T12:07:11","date_gmt":"2018-07-01T16:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=17125"},"modified":"2018-07-02T14:12:52","modified_gmt":"2018-07-02T18:12:52","slug":"do-a-little-farming-pm-tells-to-call-center-workers-entrepreneurship-is-the-way-to-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/do-a-little-farming-pm-tells-to-call-center-workers-entrepreneurship-is-the-way-to-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Do a little farming: PM tells call center workers entrepreneurship is the way to go"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Call centers do not present the best opportunity for residents to improve their standard of living, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said.<\/p>

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He was responding to news that the NCO Financial call center will close on July 31st, 2018 leaving 400 people out of work.<\/p>\n

“Call centers are not going to be priority employment for the people of Antigua and Barbuda, that’s the reality of it,” the prime minister who led failed efforts to keep the company\u00a0open said.<\/p>

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“What happen our people don’t serve a good standard of living,” the Antigua and Barbuda leader questioned.<\/p>

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The company said its operational costs in Antigua and Barbuda is what led to the closure.<\/p>\n

But Browne told Pointe FM over the weekend, “If we are truly going to develop our people and ensure that they live good living standards, call center jobs cannot be the reality.”<\/p>

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“The reality has to be good value driven jobs, where they have good pay and prospects for advancement,” he added.<\/p>\n

The country’s leader said the solution going forward has to be increased productivity and entrepreneurship.<\/p>

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He urged those displaced by the closure to “redouble our efforts, we may have to produce more.”<\/p>

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“Sometimes our people are called upon to slave for some small amounts of money,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Why don’t\u00a0we get back into primary production do a little farming, produce more, work for yourself and become entrepreneurs.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Call centers do not present the best opportunity for residents to improve their standard of living, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said. 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