PRODUCTIVITY NEXUS FOR RETAIL, F&B AIMS 7.2 PCT GROWTH IN LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Productivity Nexus for the retail and food & beverage (F&B) industry targets a 7.2 per cent growth in labour productivity in the industry to meet the 2020 national-level productivity target of RM92,300 per worker.

The retail and F&B sector currently employs no less than 2.7 million people which marks a value-added of RM89 billion – recording an 8.3 per cent contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product.

A privately driven initiative, Productivity Nexus for retail and F&B, is a one-stop centre that caters to enterprises to boost productivity while increasing innovation and capturing growth opportunities.

The implementation of the Productivity Nexus initiative, which rides on the premise of sharing the economy’s best practices and being inspired by industry experts to spur the rest of the industry, was slated to involve 80 to 100 selected flagship companies.

Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Seri Dr Richard Riot Jaem said the time had come for the country’s labour capital productivity to be further enhanced by embracing the digital economy ecosystem.

"These flagship programmes are all game-changers for the retail and F&B industry, as well as the people of Malaysia,” he said in his speech read by the ministry’s secretary general, Datuk Dr Mohd Ghazali Abas, at the official launch of the flagship programmes, here, yesterday. 

The flagship programmes are divided into three areas: Retail Digitalisation, O2O Growth Venture and Top Transformers.

Led by Malaysian E-Commerce (a chapter of PIKOM) chairman Ganesh Kumar Bangah, the first flagship programme centres on guiding and equipping selected brick and mortar retail business owners to understand, adapt and master the online revolution. This programme aims to attain sustainable growth and increased sales by taking their businesses online.

The O2O Growth Venture programme, helmed by Fave founder Joel Neoh, emphasises on venturing into new online sales channels and business models to increase sales of businesses. It also educates on the adoption of digital tools and consumer insights.

Meanwhile, the Top Transformers programme was designed for leaders in retailing and F&B who are tasked to manage people and deliver results regardless of ranking to create a well-tuned working environment. The programme, championed by PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd group chief executive/managing director Datuk Michael Tio, kicked off in January and will go on until March.

-- BERNAMA