APO Asian Productivity Organization : to help Pakistan increase national productivity

The APO is carrying out a technical assistance project for the Government of Pakistan in developing a productivity, quality, and innovation (PQI) framework. The 'right setting of integrated and national-level policies is urgently needed,' in the words of Minister for Planning, Development, and Reform Ahsan Iqbal, to realize the potential of Pakistan's economy and society as the next emerging success story. He added that PQI would be a contributing element to greater, greener, more sustainable growth.

The project in Islamabad, 9-21 January, aims to develop a draft PQI framework containing a policy structure, institutional setting, strategies, action plan, roadmap, etc. that can synergize the government, academia, and the private sector in a movement to promote growth through reliance on PQI. It started with a two-day workshop attended by policymakers from the government, representatives from academia, and business players from various industries including chambers of commerce and industry. They discussed challenges and identified information for inclusion in the policy framework. The results of the workshop were then enriched by findings from a series of consultative meetings with a broader audience.

The APO expert for this project, Dr. Wook Kin Cung, a driving force in the development of the productivity policy of Singapore through long, extensive involvement with SPRING and the Singapore Productivity Centre, will draft the policy framework based on the findings. An action plan and roadmap including strategies on how to align the framework with Pakistan Vision 2025 will also be outlined in the draft.