More than 100 new jobs had been created by Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Centrecom Fiji after the opening of its second branch in Navakai, Nadi on Friday.
Managing director Anthony Cassar said now they had provided upto 600 jobs around the country since its inception in 2014, next year the company aimed to provide up to a 1000.
“That’s certainly on our radar.”
He added that Centrecom Fiji was a peoples’ company providing customer service and back office support for global brands around the world.
“It is really all about our people. True aim is to be the best employer in Fiji not just in terms of package, the best office culture, the best work environment and the best locations. We are partnering with Australian and global brands to create valuable and highly skilled jobs for Fijians.”
He added that one of their global clients recently asked them to recruit 20 professionals in the field of accounting.
“It’s just the beginning. That’s just to handle work in Australia. This company is also in the UK and the United States. So it’s a big chain.
“It’s part of our goal to be an employer of choice by bringing the jobs to the people. 30 of our team members from Suva have actually moved to Nadi to be closer to their families and we are very happy. That’s one of the key factors in our decision to be here. This centre has capacity for 220 Daytime seats, and 220 nighttime seats for our UK partners.
He praised Fiji for having a natural inclination towards great customer service, cultural alignment with English as a common language.
“You’ve got that cultural alignment and world class education system and plenty of people willing and able to take up careers.
“We already have several UK clients from the British Isles and they also have much to gain in partnering with us in Fiji.
“With a timezone being almost exactly the opposite. It’s a perfect situation. We now have a capacity of 600 seats for UK British isles companies to come and be part of this. This is creating jobs here.”
Attorney-General and Minister for Communications Aiyaz Sayed- Khaiyum said it was important for any investor in this country, to see that there was a need to have continuation of policies and relative stability in policies which leads up to a lot of confidence going into the coming years.
“So from a government perspective, the strategic decision made some nine years ago to ensure that we have access to education for all Fijians,” he said.
“There is a need to ensure that the companies that come to Fiji should know that they can rely on a work- force that is not only about the Bula smile, but also have the academic, knowledge base, and the intellectual input that they require for those businesses that make sustainability in Fiji.
“We have a lot of synergies that we can further develop. There’s a lot more opportunity in terms of the integration that’s important.”
He highlighted new investments exceeding $10 million in infrastructure that supports Business Process Outsourcing companies like call centres and accounting services will be offered a 20-year tax holiday.
The 10 year and 15 year tax holiday will also be available for investments between $2 million to $5 million and $5 million to $10 million, respectively.
He is looking forward to the set-up of another branch in Vanua Levu.
Centrecom Fiji chief executive officer Carol Watkins thanked their partners Fiji Airways, the Cassar family and other global brands for believing in Fiji and continuing to invest in the company.
“Over the past year, the company has invested an additional $3.5 mil- lion in our current and upcoming centers with an expectation to have approximately another $1 million invested next year,” she said.
“This center will support the company to attract global brands, and to also attract and retain awesome employees who are helping us grow our company.”
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