Outsource Fiji opens new headquarters
SUVA, FIJI — Industry body Outsource Fiji inaugurated its new headquarters, seen as a crucial milestone for Fiji’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry in its bid to become the region’s knowledge and shared services hub.
The new office is in Garden City, a business park in Raiwai, Suva. With board rooms, meeting rooms, and support staff, Outsource Fiji now has a place for the industry’s strategic planning.
Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, who presided over the opening ceremony, highlighted the BPO industry’s vital role in promoting economic diversification, employment creation, income generation, and talent retention. The industry now employs over 8,000 people in Fiji.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fiji was recognized as a risk diversification destination from investors, as the government of Fiji considered BPOs as an essential service. Hence, unlike the other sectors, this industry remained open for business,” Kamikamica said in his speech.
Kamikamica emphasized the BPO industry as a game-changer for Fiji’s economy, especially during the emergence of new industries. The sector provides an attractive proposition for young Fijians, enabling them to secure well-paid jobs with continual professional development, reducing the necessity for seeking employment abroad.
However, he also acknowledged the challenges faced by the growing industry.
“The local infrastructure capacity needs to be improved, where there is suitable office space of consistent power and network connectivity… I assure you that we are working on some solutions with the private sector.”
The Deputy Prime Minister referenced forthcoming major projects outside Suva, including the Pacific Koro in Kalabu, the Telecom Centre in Tamavua, the planned Navutu Special Economic Zone, and a second submarine cable construction in the West. Land leasing for an Industrial Zone in Savusavu and an underground fiber optic initiative from Labasa to Savusavu are among the other initiatives contributing to infrastructure development.
Craig Strong, President of the Business Process Outsourcing Council, asserted the new office’s alignment with the council’s commitment to its strategic pillars—enabling, protecting, and growing the sector.
With the increasing importance of the industry, Kamikamica said the Fiji government is committed to listening to Outsource Fiji’s views on how to foster a conducive ecosystem for the sector and become a sustainable pillar of Fiji’s economy.
