Fiji stands at a very pivotal moment as it embarks on a journey towards a digital economy, where innovation and technology can propel and enhance the quality of life for every Fijian.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Information, Manoa Kamikamica highlighted this at the Trend World Tour event at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
Kamikamica says this reflects the growing confidence globally in Fiji's digital landscape and our regional leadership in technology.
He says Fiji is one of the eight cities in the region and 100 globally, and it not only showcases the commitment to progress, digital transformation and innovation, but also to progress cybersecurity, being a fundamental part of any ICT architecture.
The Deputy Prime Minister says this also highlights the need to continue these kinds of conversations to protect what is first becoming a big sector in Fiji, and also protect our businesses and government systems more broadly as events such as these are just more than just conferences, they are platforms that bridge the gap between governments, industry and the private sector.
He says in a time of rapid technological advancement, these linkages are critical.
Kamikamica says by coming together, they can harness collective expertise and resources needed to address shared challenges, whether in service delivery, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure or digital literacy.
He says this has been fuelled by the introduction of Starlink, which has empowered our people and businesses in remote and maritime areas to have access to meaningful connectivity. Additionally, the landing of Bulikula and Tabuua subsea cables by Google has further strengthened the resilience of our digital infrastructure.
The Deputy Prime Minister says these major initiatives have made Fiji an even more attractive investment destination, where businesses have the means to fully utilise digital technologies to achieve their organizational goals.
He says 2022 statistics shows that the current ICT contribution to GDP is 4.2 percent and it has created 40,000 jobs across various sectors spurred by the digital economy, attracting over US $100 million in investment.
Kamikamica says this is apart from the US$200 million that Google is going to spend in building its first-ever green data centre in Fiji.
He says Fiji's National Cybersecurity Strategy will set out our vision for a cyber-safe, secure and resilient Fiji as it will detail our policies that will enable our nation to navigate cybersecurity in the digital age now and into the future.
The Deputy Prime Minister says while the National Cybersecurity Strategy is being finalised, they are actively working to ensure our National Computer Emergency Response Team, or Fiji CERT, is established.
It will serve as a vital function within the Government, our digital-first responders to any cyber incident, and that is why we are ensuring that once it is set up, the Fiji CERT can deal with nationally significant cyber incidents from the outset.
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