H.E. John Feakes, Australian High Commissioner to Fiji,
H.E Jonathan Curr, New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji,
The United States (U.S.) Acting Deputy Chief of Mission to Fiji, Ms Allison Dyess,
Ms Carol Watkins, Chair of the BPO Council of Fiji,
Representatives of the BPO Council of Fiji,
Invited Guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Bula Vinaka and a very good afternoon to you all.
I remember about three years ago, discussions had started for a Council to be established for the BPO’s in Fiji. This was something both Government and all of us here were very excited about.
This makes today all the more exciting – because we can proudly say we did it – Fiji has its very own BPO Council and you’re all to thank for it.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your accomplishment extends way beyond you as a Council. This is an accomplishment that benefits thousands of Fijians employed in this growing sector. As we celebrate the launch of the BPO Council of Fiji, we mark a new era in providing the sector an opportunity to collectively work together with the Fijian Government and position ourselves as the BPO hub of the region.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
One of our greatest strengths as a modern economy is the development of call centers and outsourcing because it uses our greatest resource — our people. To put this into perspective, close to 5,000 Fijians, representative of a young workforce, are currently employed in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and BPO sectors, contributes approximately 10% towards Fiji’s GDP.
We are placed in a very strong position with excellent IT and telecommunications infrastructure and competitive wage and salary rates. We also have an educated and accent neutral English-speaking work force, a cost effective near shore location and a convenient time zone area.
These enabling factors checks key boxes that our neighbouring markets, Australia and New Zealand, require. So essentially, it positions us in place to tell investors – ‘Fiji is your destination for doing business and your gateway to other regional markets’.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Apart from having a rich pool of talent, the Fijian Government has worked strategically to position Fiji as a lucrative location for BPO operations, offering attractive investment incentives. As far as our ICT preparedness goes, we have provided digital infrastructure for Fijians and Fijian businesses to do business online.
Initiatives such as digitalFIJI and bizFIJI, which are part of our digital transformational agenda, is empowering Fijians to be connected to the Fijian Governments e-services, a step forward from the traditional practice of providing assistance.
We’ve taken pro-active steps to remove administrative burdens and reduce bureaucratic obstacles to fast track approval processes – especially for micro, small and medium enterprises.
Over the recent months, the Fijian Government has implemented pivotal reforms in the area of starting a business. We’ve even removed business licensing.
We’ve set ambitious targets which includes our target of being ranked in the top 50 countries in doing business by 2025 and to be preceded by a mid-term target of 75 in the Doing Business 2023 Report.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Partnership will play a critical role in creating investable opportunities and in meeting our commitment to develop Fiji as a services hub of the Pacific. This is why we’re working with the private sector on the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Navutu Lautoka, which will primarily focus on creating opportunities in the BPO sector.
The SEZ will have in place all the necessary supporting infrastructure and utilities to facilitate custom demands of potential investors through its “Plug-and-Play” approach, thus providing seamless business opportunity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Fijian economy was heavily dependent on the tourism sector, which contributes 40% towards Fiji’s GDP. Owing to the Coronavirus pandemic and the closing of international borders, this sector is now near a standstill.
We have undertaken extensive sectoral and one-on-one consultations, with industry stakeholders to draw the parameters of our recovery. Our recovery is guided by key pillars of socio-economic sustenance. And one of the ways we intend to achieve this by diversifying and expanding manufacturing base, and establishing industries of the future, like IT and BPO.
Looking at the current global trend, whilst the BPO/ICT industry has also been impacted, it also has the ability to easily diversify into and work towards reviving our economy.
Fiji is well placed in terms of resources and facilities readily available for businesses to start operations. We are well positioned to attract BPO investments, starting from the lower end and moving up the value chain. This is evident as we have managed to secure our position by attracting renowned BPO investors to reposition their back office processing in Fiji.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to achieve the status of the true hub of the Pacific, we need to focus on our potential and capitalise on the opportunities available
My Ministry has been working very closely with the BPO Council since 2018, when it was in the early stages of formation. In the 2019-2020 Financial Year National budget, a grant of $50,000 was given to the BPO Council.
Since then, the Ministry, Investment Fiji and the BPO Council have been working closely on the establishment of the Council. Today, our efforts are doubling. In fact, we are currently working with tertiary institutions in Fiji to get BPO related courses introduced into their curriculum.
We want to ensure that Fijians have the right skills to be readily employed. Fiji is privileged to have a 96% literacy rate which puts us in a favorable position in comparison to other competing countries which provide BPO services.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Fijian Government, as announced in the 2020-2021 National Budget, is committed to steering Fiji towards economic recovery through incentives such as: eliminating business licensing, introducing tax cuts targeted at businesses and households, across-the-board reductions in customs tariffs and streamlining of processes.
All of which will improve the ease of doing business in Fiji, making us one of the most competitive destinations for businesses.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Coming back to today’s event, it is time to show our appreciation and support for the Fijian BPO industry. I strongly encourage other BPO companies to join the Council and make use of this platform to support the advancement of your industry.
In an effort to connect Fijian BPO service providers to International markets, I’d like to congratulate the BPO Council, for their combined determination in showcasing Fiji as a highly attractive investment destination for outsourcing.
I also encourage other BPO companies to take advantage of the investment incentives Fiji has to offer and businesses to consider outsourcing their back office operations to these companies.
I accord my special thanks to the members of the BPO Council of Fiji for their partnership, support and valiant effort – in having confidence in this industry and creating a secure foundation for new and upcoming BPOs.
I also wish to thank the Australian Government and Market Development Facility (MDF) for their support towards the BPO industry. We look forward to working closely with you in realising the full potential of the industry and taking it forward.
My sincere appreciation to ANZ Pacific Operations, Vodafone Fiji Limited, Recoveries Corp, Centrecom, Lyndhurst, Packleader Pacific, Greymouse, BTR and DHL for leading by example and being pioneers of the BPO Council.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With these words, it is my pleasure to launch the BPO Council of Fiji.
Vinaka.