Canefarmers will soon have online access to their Sugar Cane Growers Fund accounts with the introduction of a new portal next month, says chief executive officer Raj Sharma. He said the MySCGF app would save farmers valuable time by enabling them to be updated on their accounts at the click of a button instead of commuting to the SCGF office. “It’s in the final testing stage at the moment,” he said.

Mr Sharma said the app would enable farmers to check their loan balances, be updated with their transactions, access statements, view inward remittances and monitor deductions. He said it would also enable them to apply for loans online.

Mr Sharma said the only time a grower would have to visit the SCGF office would be to sign a loan offer letter.

“But even then, we can make arrangements for that to be done without the farmers visiting our office.”

He said the app would reduce transport costs for growers.

“We are utilising the Vodafone M-PAiSA platform also and are in the process of finalising plans to link up with Digicel too.

“It’s definitely another of the many innovative plans by the SCGF. It was delayed by six months because of the pandemic since the solution provider, Sesame Software Pvt Ltd, is located in India.”

He said the company had partnered with local company Datec Fiji. “It’s all technology-based now in the new normal; no paper applications.”

He said registration of cane farmers would begin next week. Mr Sharma also said all SCGF staff members were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.