KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 (Bernama) -- Asian Productivity Organization (APO) continued to back Lao PDR’s efforts to boost productivity in a recent visit to the country by its Secretary-General Dr Indra Pradana Singawinata.
In his visit to meet high-level officials, Dr Indra met Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saleumxay Kommasith; and Minister of Industry and Commerce, Malaythong Kommasith to discuss the productivity challenges and opportunities facing Lao PDR and the APO’s support for its national productivity strategy.
In a statement, Dr Indra congratulated the country for its remarkable progress in improving its productivity performance since it joined the APO in 2002, achieving the fastest labour productivity growth among member countries during 2011–17.
He also emphasised the need for Lao PDR to diversify its economic structure and promote productivity growth in other sectors, especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are the backbone of the economy and the source of job creation and income generation.
Dr Indra reiterated APO’s commitment to working with the country in its productivity endeavours by providing policy advisory services, capacity-building programmes, smart initiatives, and knowledge-sharing platforms.
He also encouraged Lao PDR to leverage its membership in the APO and to benefit from the best practices and experiences of other members.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation for APO’s continuous support for the national productivity movement and praised the effectiveness of APO assistance to Lao PDR’s SMEs and the public sector.
Dr Indra also inaugurated the National Productivity Festival and Exhibition on Innovations for Higher Quality, organised by the Department of Small and Medium Enterprise of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR.
He praised the creativity and dynamism of the Lao people and enterprises, who are striving to improve their productivity and quality in various fields, and hoped that the festival and exhibition would inspire more innovations and collaborations among national stakeholders, as well as between Lao PDR and other APO member economies.
-- BERNAMA
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