Fiji Reaffirms Commitment To Cross-Border Paperless Trade

Fiji is advancing efforts to modernise and streamline trade through digitalization, with the National Workshop on Cross-Border Paperless Trade held today in Suva. The workshop marks another step in Fiji’s efforts to build a more modern, connected and efficient trading environment, while strengthening its role as a trade and economic hub for the Pacific.

Hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the workshop brought together relevant stakeholders to strengthen understanding of the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific (CPTA) and assess its relevance and potential implementation for Fiji.

The workshop provided an important platform to examine how digital technologies, common standards and stronger regional cooperation can help make cross-border trade more efficient, secure, accessible for Fijian businesses – to providing better opportunities and livelihoods for the communities in Fiji and beyond.

In opening the workshop, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Dr. Raijeli Taga, highlighted the growing importance of digital trade facilitation in reducing the time, cost and complexity associated with moving goods across borders.

She highlighted that for Fiji, the transition to paperless trade is particularly significant given the challenges faced by small island developing states, including geographic distance from major markets and limited economies of scale. Dr Taga stated that having an efficient digital trade systems can help overcome these barriers while strengthening Fiji’s competitiveness and connectivity with regional and global markets.

She said Fiji has already established important foundations for this transition through implementation of the World Trade Organization Trade (WTO) Facilitation Agreement, the Trade Information Portal, ongoing work towards a National Single Window and wider digital government reforms.

Further, Dr. Taga highlighted four key enablers for successful cross-border paperless trade: strong legal and regulatory frameworks; reliable digital infrastructure and connectivity; common standards and data structures; and institutional capacity and readiness for change.

These elements will be critical to ensuring that digital trade systems are not only technologically sound, but also interoperable, inclusive and responsive to the needs of government and businesses.

The workshop also underscored the importance of regional cooperation, particularly for Pacific Island countries facing common challenges in connectivity, capacity and trade facilitation.

Head of the UNESCAP Subregional Office for the Pacific, Ms. Andie Fong Toy, acknowledged Fiji’s continued leadership in advancing trade facilitation and digitalisation and reaffirmed UNESCAP’s support for greater regional cooperation and interoperability under the CPTA.