By Savithri Rodrigo
(Commonwealth Union)_The future for Fiji goes beyond swaying palms and golden beaches. It seems like the Pacific Island nation will no longer be relying totally on tourism to keep its economy afloat. A treasure trove has been opened and in that trove is technology!
ICT entrepreneurs are seeing massive potential beyond the horizon with Fiji’s location being the biggest attraction being at the center of many Pacific Islands which paves the way for access to North America, Asia and even Australia and New Zealand.
The Pacific is particularly vulnerable to climate change and the pandemic brought Fiji’s thriving tourist industry, the main foreign exchange earner for the country to a standstill. The prolonged lockdowns even brought agricultural and fisheries export to a halt, leaving the country in dire straits. If there was one lesson the pandemic brought into focus, it is about placing all your eggs in one basket. The Fijians realize it’s time to diversify if their economy is to get back on its feet. So what better path than look at its human capital, hone in on the young talent and make it work.
A call center in Fiji
ICT and business services which includes call centers are springing up. Already, a subscription based weather app NaDraki has been launched. The app provides forecasts and climate information to government, business and citizens and includes a chat service for subscribers for direct conversation with a weather forecaster for more information. For a country that has been battered by extreme weather including cyclones, this weather app is a godsend.
In the pipeline is Welcome Fiji or Bula Fiji that enables vacationers book flights, accommodation and excursions on a single app.
The University of the South Pacific is Fiji’s main university but while the crème de la crème of students earn their degrees in this respected seat of learning, talent retention for the country has been challenging. Brain drain is symptomatic of the lack of employment opportunities. It is these well-educated young graduates that the country is tapping into, augmenting the ideal geographic location, excellent internet connectivity, (given that most of the undersea cables in the region run out from Fiji) and good command of the English language.
With these adding to the launch of an expansive collective of call centers, the Fijian tech revolution has just begun.
And there are other plans: the modeling of climate change, mapping variations in temperature, sea level rises, GHGs, Fiji is at the forefront and can be an efficient and speedier information sharer to the world.
