Use local IT experts
MICROCOMP Services founder Ashfaq Khan is calling on Government to consider involving local information technology (IT) and cybersecurity experts from the private sector in the Ministry of Trade’s anti-scam Inter-Agency Taskforce.
The taskforce was set up in September 2023 to investigate more than $3 million lost by locals to the biggest financial scam in Fiji’s history — EbayShop online recruitment scheme.
The Inter-Agency Taskforce consists of representatives from the Ministry of Trade Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Ministry of Local Government, Reserve Bank of Fiji, Office of the Solicitor-General, Fiji Police Force (FPF), Consumer of Fiji (CCoF), Fijian Competition Consumer Commission (FCCC), Online Safety Commission and co-opted members Vodafone and Digicel Fiji.
“We should have IT experts (as part of it) in order to take us through it, because these people, are trained to target these kind of things. Now we understand the bodies which you have named (current InterAgency Taskforce members), they would be having ideas but those are internal ideas,” Mr Khan told
“You need to get a consultant and that’s where companies, such as our company Microcomp Services, come in.
“We go in as consultants, we take up projects and we make sure that it is completed.”
Microcomp Services was established in 2006 and has been the IT service provider for local businesses such Ram Sami & Sons (Fiji) Ltd, Accident Compensation Commission Fiji (ACCF), CDP Courier Services Fiji Ltd, local law firms and accounting firms.
The locally owned company specialises in networking, hardware and software implementation and troubleshooting, systems analysis, IT consultant, web hosting, implementation and maintenance of servers, IT managed services, network security solutions, data recovery, and computer sales and services.
“I would say like at a bigger level, we need IT experts, we need policymakers. If you look at the scams, I know you may be referring to the scam that happened which is a huge one. If you look at it, it was not handled properly,” he said.
“The only way we can handle it is to make up good policies, that should come from the authorities, plus awareness is the way to go.
“People should be aware that nowadays nothing comes for free.
“They should be aware of where they’re putting their money and what consequences it can lead up to.
“So, the cybersecurity experts should be given that platform to voice that to the audience of Fiji, through the media or some other source.
“They should be able to put it out there.”
Mr Khan said a separate unit needed to form that would look after business registration and so forth and “be consulted before these companies are given license to operate”.
Responding to Mr Khan’s suggestions, Trade Minister and Inter-Agency Taskforce chair Manoa Kamikamica said they would be seriously considering this as well.
He said the current arrangement was that police does investigations while Vodafone and Digicel handles the IT and cybersecurity aspect.