“Digital is no longer a choice we make. It’s the new standard that we must adopt. It’s how economies grow, how services are delivered and how businesses – small or large – stay competitive.”
These were the remarks of Ministry of Trade permanent secretary Shaheen Ali when he spoke on ‘Digitalisation – making doing business easy’ at the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountant (FICA) congress in Nadi.
He said at present, there were more than 5.5 billion people who were online, and cited the Digital Economy Report Pacific Edition 2024 that stated 85.2 per cent of people in Fiji accessed the internet. He added internet access was growing faster than the global GDP and expected to reach more than $US16trillion (approx $F36.18t) by 2028. For Fiji, he said ICT only contributed 4.23 per cent to the local GDP.
“In fact, studies show that more than two-thirds of future economic value will come from digitally enabled platforms and services,” Mr Ali told delegates at the FICA Congress.
Mr Ali said the reality in Fiji for many local businesses, especially MSMEs, the experience of doing business still involved long queues, manual forms and multiple visits to multiple agencies – the end result of which discouraged investment, slowed growth and held back job creation.
He said the National Digital Strategy 2025-2030 was preparing Fijian businesses to compete in a connected world.
“Connectivity without protection is a risk. Systems without rules create confusion. That’s why our legal and policy backbone is evolving,” Mr Ali said.
Mr Ali said Fiji’s economy was powered by MSMEs, making up more than 80 per cent of all registered businesses.
“That’s why digital transformation of MSMEs is a cornerstone of the National MSME Strategy.”
He said digitalisation unlocked new opportunities by enabling: market visibility via e-commerce platforms; customer and supplier connectivity across Fiji and into regional markets; and real-time decision making with digital tools for inventory, cashflow and sales analytics.
“We have the vision, the plans and building infrastructure. But real transformation needs people – it needs you.
“You are not just accountants. You are advisors, educators, enablers. You help businesses make sound decisions, ensure financial clarity, and guide compliance. In this digital era, you also help them transform.”
