BIZFIJI ONLINE PORTAL LAUNCHED
Consultant Koi Voon Soon, (left) explains the bizFIJI Online Portal to Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism Permanent Secretary Shaheen Ali, Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed- Khaiyum and Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Premila Kumar following the launch of the bizFIJI Online Portal in Suva on July 10, 2019. Photo:
The Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, is the man in the forefront of the technological revolution in Fiji.
This is also part of the five-year and 20-year National Development Plan (NDP), sets the vision of providing Fijians steady, improved, better quality and accessible Government services. Therefore, they have embarked on a four-year Digital Government Transformation Programme.
Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism Premila Kumar made this comment during the launch of the bizFIJI portal in Suva yesterday: “The vision for having this portal, began with a strategy to fast track and improve processes,” Mrs Kumar said: “This will make a major difference in the business environment in Fiji. We simply wanted to create a single window, where information is readily available and businesses are able to access the relevant forms and documentation required. This is the beginning of a journey towards a digital platform for doing business. This platform will not only be a portal for information, it will evolve into a submission portal in at least two years.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the launch of the bizFIJI portal is also about attracting new businesses. He noted that in order for capital investors to feel confident in any new jurisdiction, they need to be able to understand there is a rule readily available, and that the processes are extremely transparent. He said that they wanted bizFIJI to be the portal that investors and businesses, both domestic and foreign, are able to use to navigate their way to the relevant business process they want.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum had also highlighted that there were 13 agencies that were previously involved in approving building permits. Along nine agencies involved in setting up businesses.
With this portal the reduction of the physical processes involved have been reduced by 40 per cent that’s even without the intervention of technology. He added the idea of course is to have a track system, so that they know where and what stage of their building application, permit or business application is at.
Collaboration is key with all key stakeholders and that they need to work together and join hands with the Fijian Government in breaking barriers and overcoming impediments hurdling growth of Fiji. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum thanked the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) for their input and support.