Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) asked for a paradigm shift to adopt innovations and inclusiveness in business enterprises as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) enabling workforce more flexible to new work styles in Post COVID 19 scenarios.
The APO also stressed for promoting innovation, up gradation techniques and manpower skills, Inclusiveness and strengthening the National Productivity Insinuations for enhancing the productivity in country’s economies for upcoming situation, said a statement issued by National Productivity Organization (Ministry of Industries and Production) here.
Drawing upon its 60 years of engagement in Asia and the Pacific, the APO crystallizes the key lessons of its six decades of journey in a joint statement, “The Tokyo Statement on the Centrality of Productivity” issued at the conclusion of its 63rd Governing Body Meeting held.
The statement sketches the key priority targets of the APO for 2021–2025.Those targets support the APO Vision 2025 in striving for “inclusive, innovation-led productivity growth in Asia and the Pacific.”
Productivity is the foundation of this survival, not only for becoming more competitive but also in the broader, philosophical sense of “making tomorrow better than today.”
According to a statement issued, the new drivers that include innovation, advanced technologies, and digitalization are expected to lead to exponential productivity gains.
Another involvement for enhancing productivity tools, techniques, and methodologies. Upgrading and upskilling are imperative given ongoing rapid, dynamic changes for productivity and dmore inclusive.
The priority is strengthening National Productivity Organizations (NPOs) as the premiere productivity-promoting institutions, equipping them to be policy partners for their governments.
The productivity and more inclusive means broadening the outreach and applications of productivity to embrace persons with different abilities, in addition to women, youth, and socially vulnerable group.
As the economic and humanitarian crises in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic escalate to epic proportions and the world reels at the grim prospects of viral variants described as “far more deadly” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The 21 countries that make up the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) offer a sliver of hope by declaring their resolve to continue the productivity movement, leveraging it to guide the region through new, harsh challenges in the years ahead.
Meanwhile, congratulating the APO on its 60th anniversary in 2021 and applauding the tenacity of the organization in continuing the momentous journey that began in 1961,Commending the APO’s standing as an international organization that has consistently and effectively pursued its mission and goals since its establishment; Appreciating the close cooperation among APO members in achieving productivity enhancement in the Asia-Pacific region through the exchange of knowledge, experience, and best practices of productivity improvement methodology, tools, and techniques during the last six decades.
Escalating further the expansion of productivity applications beyond the economic and business spheres to other key areas central to the well-being and dignity of the current and future generations including the preservation of the environment and greater social inclusivity.
Acknowledging the sustained productivity performance of APO members leading to remarkable socioeconomic progress in the region; Recognizing the broad dimensions of productivity including its contributions to developing sound, well-rounded societies;
Realizing that productivity improvement has become more urgent and important considering the unprecedented, unforeseen COVID-19 pandemic; and Supporting the aspirations of the APO Vision 2025 to promote inclusive, innovation-led productivity growth in the region.
The APO Governing Body hereby reaffirms the commitment to promoting the centrality of productivity in driving national development endeavors and in enterprise, organizational, and individual growth to meet new, fast-emerging demands and challenges, with emphases and priority targets outlined in the attachment to this statement.
The Governing Body may review and adjust the priority targets and emphases listed in this Attachment as required.
The APO Secretariat will submit an interim report on the implementation of the Statement on the Centrality of Productivity at the end of 2023.
