Fiji could soon have a Council for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in the country.

Leaders of the BPO sector, telecommunications industry as well as our major universities were part of the preparatory meeting in Suva yesterday.

The meeting was to discuss ways to move ahead with the establishment of the council in order to promote the growth of business process outsourcing as a major business opportunity in Fiji.

Fiji’s High Commissioner to Australia, Yogesh Punja says Fiji is well-positioned to address the growing needs of the near-shore market business, especially from Australia, and already has strong public and private investments in the sector.

“Today’s initiative was to initiate the idea of forming council consisting of academia, government and current players and to chart a way forward for the industry.”

This was the first stage. We will be holding another meeting next month where we will aim to formally establish the Council with the support of Investment Fiji,” Punja said.

The BPO sector currently employs close to 3000 people in the country. Government hopes to increase this number to 10,000 in coming years.

Mr Punja says the council, once fully operational, intends to promote the BPO sector in Fiji, be a conduit to the Government’s ICT policy development and attract more foreign direct investments in the sector.

“Within the next months, we should have a Council, ready with some strategies in place,” he said.

Investment Fiji chief executive officer, Godo Mueller-Teut says that the formation of a private sector-led Council was a positive development and a step in the right direction.

“The Fijian Government has adopted a number of ways to incentivise this important sector.”

The formation of this council will complement the government’s effort by advocating measures that will ensure the continued development of the BPO sector,” Mr Mueller-Teut says.

Fiji’s cost effective near-shore location, advanced telecommunications infrastructure, natural English language skills and attractive labour rates act as positive impetus in attracting world class BPO and ICT organisations to Fiji, and there is a huge potential for growth for the sector.

The next meeting of the Council will be held on May 2, 2017.

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