SUVA/DHAKA/TOKYO�-�Media OutReach�-�29 July 2019 -�The Asian Productivity Organization (APO), under a special cash grant
from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), has drafted national
productivity master plans for Bangladesh and Fiji. The
master plans were released to the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and
Industrial Relations of Fiji on 13 June 2019 and to the Ministry of Industries
of Bangladesh on 22 July 2019. Workshops were subsequently organized on 14 June
in Suva and 23--25 July in Dhaka to orient representatives of key institutions
on the plan contents and how they can be put into practice.

APO Secretary-General Dr. Santhi Kanoktanaporn (R) and Minster of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Parveen Kumar at the ceremony in Suva, 13 June 2019.

APO Secretary-General Dr. Santhi Kanoktanaporn (R) handing over the National Productivity Master Plan 2021--2030 to Bangladesh's Minister of Industries Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun in Dhaka, 22 July 2019. (Photo: Press Information Department in Bangladesh)

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During the handover ceremony in Dhaka on 22 July, APO
Secretary-General Dr. Santhi Kanoktanaporn stated that the
agility--productivity--innovation nexus should form the core of national sustainable
productivity initiatives. He emphasized that productivity itself was "never
enough in a world of constant change and uncertainty" and that the Governments
of Bangladesh and Fiji needed to become resilient to achieve sustainability
while meeting their national development goals.

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The focus of the master
plan initiative is tailoring efforts to meet the current and future needs of
individual members, while expanding the APO's policy advisory services. After consultations with government units at
various levels and thorough review by key stakeholders, the master plans can be
adopted as part of national productivity policies or used as drafts for the
development of future guideline documents.

About the APO

The
Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is an intergovernmental organization
committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region. Established in
1961, the APO contributes to the sustainable socioeconomic development of the
region through policy advisory services, acting as a think tank, and
undertaking smart initiatives in the industry, agriculture, service, and public
sectors. The APO is shaping the future of the region by assisting member
economies in formulating national strategies for enhanced productivity and
through a range of institutional capacity-building efforts, including research
and centers of excellence in member countries.

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The
current APO members are: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, Hong
Kong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao
PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, and Vietnam.