The Business Process Outsourcing Council has been launched today to position Fiji as a BPO hub of the region and create more employment opportunities for Fijians.
BPO organisations provide services for other organisations or businesses such as operating their customer service centres, doing accounting work for them and providing IT services.
The BPO Council Fiji is made up of organisations that include DHL, Vodafone, Investment Fiji, Packleader Pacific, BTR(Business Solutions, Tourism Fiji Limited Services, Resource Management) Fiji Ltd, ANZ Bank, RCL (Recoveries Corporation Group Limited) Services PTE Limited, Centrecom and Greymouse.
Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport, Faiyaz Koya says the establishment of the council will benefit thousands of Fijians.
He says one of Fiji's greatest strengths as a modern economy is the development of call centres and outsourcing because it uses our greatest resource which are the people. The Minister says Fiji is placed in a very strong position with excellent IT and telecommunications infrastructure and competitive wage and salary rates and Fiji also has an educated and accent neutral English-speaking workforce. He adds Fiji is also a cost-effective near-shore location and is in a convenient time zone area with respect to New Zealand and Australia. Koya says these enabling factors check key boxes that Australia and New Zealand, require.
He adds the Ministry is working with the private sector on establishing a Special Economic Zone in Navutu, Lautoka, which will primarily focus on creating opportunities in the BPO sector. The Australian government contributed $150,000 while the Fijian government contributed $50,000 for the establishment of the BPO council.
