[Source: archistar.ai]

For years, obtaining a building permit in Fiji has been a lengthy, opaque ordeal that stalled developments and raised costs for homeowners, small developers, and large investors alike.

Ministry of Trade Permanent Secretary Shaheen Ali says what should be a routine step in construction often turned into months, sometimes years of delays, as applications were passed between municipal councils, utilities, and national agencies with little transparency or coordination.

Ali says that backlog has hindered housing projects, tourism infrastructure and commercial developments, and dampened investor confidence.

Shaheen Ali, Ministry of Trade Permanent Secretary [File Photo]

Ali says BusinessNow Fiji’s plans in place for the next major milestone is the digitization of the building permit approval pipeline, a notoriously complex multi-agency workflow that has the potential to produce some of the largest gains in efficiency.

“Disjointed government departments” and fragmented processes are central to the problem.”

Different agencies have historically required separate forms, imposed varying checks, and followed inconsistent timelines.

That fragmentation generated duplication, contradictory requirements, and long handoffs that amplified delays and raised the cost of construction.

BusinessNow Fiji aims to change the dynamic by bringing the required agencies onto a single, coordinated digital platform.

Under the new system, applicants will lodge one consolidated application that is routed automatically to the relevant authorities.

Real-time tracking will allow users to see which office holds their file and how long each step is taking, reducing uncertainty and the need for in-person follow-ups.

Standardized requirements and clearly stated fees are intended to remove contradictory demands and curb opportunities for informal or hidden charges.

Automated workflows and data reuse will reduce repetitive documentation requests and shorten administrative handoffs.

If the initiative meets its targets, Fiji’s digitization of building permits could mark a turning point for the construction sector.

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