SUVA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Participants at a regional workshop on Monday have been urged to embrace digital transformation and digitalization in order to unlock new opportunities for growth and prosperity in the Pacific.
According to a Fijian government press release, officiating at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) regional workshop, Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, SMEs and Communications Manoa Kamikamica said that the region needs to be aware that the challenges they face are complex and multifaceted and the world is changing rapidly, hence they must be nimble and adaptable to keep pace.
Kamikamica also acknowledged UNCTAD for organizing such workshop and sharing expertise that will be instrumental in driving trade facilitation reforms and economic growth in the wider Pacific region.
Kamikamica said that a key area where UNCTAD is providing technical assistance to Fiji is towards the development of Fiji's Single Window Blueprint, which will streamline the exchange of information between government agencies and traders, enabling them to submit and receive information through a single electronic platform.
This will reduce the time and cost of trade transactions and improve the efficiency of their border management processes, he added.
The UNCTAD Regional Workshop, organized by the UNCTAD's Automated System for Customs Data Regional Office for the Pacific, is a platform for customs, experts and trade officials from 15 Pacific island countries to explore ways of achieving trade facilitation reforms through digitalization and cooperation among government agencies involved in trade. ■
