NTPC Manager Quality Awards Bob Kolitagane with Permanent Secretary for Office of the Prime Minister Mr Yogesh Karan.

Fiji National University’s (FNU) National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) is continuously working to improve the Fiji Business Excellence Awards (FBEA) with support from the Fijian Government.

NTPC Manager Quality Awards Bob Kolitagane recently met with the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Yogesh Karan to brief him on the work carried out by NTPC.

In the past 20 years, 131 organisations have been given awards at different levels since the Fiji Business Excellence Awards, formerly known as the Fiji Quality Awards (FQA), was launched in 1998. In the following year, the organisers recorded the first two applications lodged by the businesses.

Kolitagane said the business organisations have benefitted immensely from their participation in the awards and have continued to use the framework of the award as an Organisational Self-Assessment tool for recognition, and the FBEA has continued to grow.

“The Panel of the Review unanimously agreed that new criteria included are to reflect on the need to align to the Government’s effort in Championing Climate Change. We are indeed honoured to have our Prime Minister recognised globally as the Champion on Climate Change,” Kolitagane said.

“Research was conducted to update the other leading countries’ Business Excellence Framework and the changes that have evolved on their criteria in the last five years.

“NTPC was supported by three leading consultants who are International Experts on Business Excellence. These leading consultants are; one of the longest-serving United States Malcolm Baldrige Examiner, Mr Paul Steel. The other experts are Mr Michael Voss from New Zealand and Mr George Wong of Singapore. NTPC is indeed honoured as Mr Steel went out of his way to assist NTPC by liaising with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in getting their approval to share their Framework.”

The Fiji Quality Awards (FQA) was launched by the late President of the Republic of Fiji Islands, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara in the late 1990s, and then in 2004, the Fiji Quality Awards was rebranded as the Fiji Business Excellence Awards (FBEA).