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Some 400 new jobs are expected to be created when the $2.5 million call centre investment by Amalgamated Telecom Holdings is fully operational, said the company’s chief executive officer Tomasi Vakatora.
The major project, expected to be delivered over three stages, is a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) partnership between ATH and India’s InTouch Solutions Pvt Ltd.
“It is estimated that 250 new jobs will be created in Stages 2 and 3, taking total employees to about 400 when the comprehensive international call centre is fully operational, approximately two years out from the commencement of Stage 1” said Vakatora.
“Preparations in accordance with an Implementation Plan, including detailed planning for launching of Stage 1 within the next four months are progressing well at this stage,” Vakatora said.
“We have identified several potential sites for locating the call centre, and are working on securing one in particular within the Suva City area. Registration with regulatory authorities, including applications for tax concessions made available to ICT businesses are being done.”
Stage 1 of the project involves the operation of the new call centre as a consolidation unit for all existing call centres in companies within the ATH Group of Companies and catering specifically for their needs.
Under Stage 2, services will be extended with offerings for clients in the domestic Fiji market. Further development of the business into a comprehensive international centre will be the main focus of Stage 3, said Vakatora.
ATH is a company listed on the South Pacific Stock Exchange and recently experienced a major fall in share price from $1.15 at the end of April to $1.07 on Monday last week, although recovering to $1.08 after yesterday’s trading.
It was listed on SPSE in 2002 after a public offer of its shares to the Fiji public at a $1.06 per share.
