Business Process Outsourcing Council support the govt’s vaccination strategy for economic recovery

The Executive Director for the Business Process Outsourcing Council Shagufta Janif says they supports the vaccination strategy being implemented by the Fijian Government for economic recovery, and to ensure that clients and the industry are not adversely affected by working remotely.

Janif says having a 100% vaccination rate will help the BPO industry solve the difficulties currently being faced with the work-from-home model, which can only be resolved once employees start going back to work to access the extensive facilities and infrastructure provided to support efficient BPO operations.

She says they are aiming towards having a 100% vaccinated workforce for their members.

She adds the Council members employ approximately 5,000 people and the good news is that almost 60% of the industry's workforce have already received their first dose and some of their BPO companies are even going to the extent of providing transportation to vaccination sites for their staff and their families.

She explained that Fiji’s major competitors in the BPO industry, India and the Philippines, have been severely impacted by the COVID crisis and most of their clients are now looking at other destinations for BPO services to mitigate the risk factor involved in investing in one destination.

The Executive Director says Fiji’s BPO industry has expanded significantly over the past decade and contributes approximately AUD 66 million per annum to the Fiji economy, and this is expected to triple in the next 3 years.

Janif says the BPO market in Australia is valued at USD 38 billion and if Fiji can capture 5% of that market over the next 10 years, that would be USD 1.9 billion or FJD 4.2 billion which is relatively 39% of the GDP in 2020.

She says they will only be able to start working towards these numbers once they start operating at full capacity and Fiji is fortunate to have a well-established and rapidly growing BPO / ICT industry, with real potential to continue to grow and provide significant support to Fiji's economy.

She adds the success has been made possible through the support of the Fijian Government, the improved infrastructure and technological facilities, the leveraging of Fiji’s many natural resources, and other advantages which make Fiji the ideal choice for BPO service delivery.