ISLAMABAD:Speakers have stressed on productivity-led economic growth in Pakistan and said that there was need to increase productivity in the country’s industrial sector.
Addressing the Economic Productivity workshop here Wednesday, they said that research and development, technology and skilled manpower are extremely important aspects to increase the economic productivity.
The workshop on ‘APO Vision 2025, Inclusive, Inovatio-Led Productivity Growth in the Asia-Pacific’ was co- organized by National Productivity Organization (NPO), Ministry of Industries and Production and Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Tokyo Japan, said a press release issued here.
The speakers said that the Current Account Deficit in Pakistan is difficult to resolve without increasing export and foreign investment and to bring export and foreign investment in the country, it was necessary to bring productivity in the country’s industrial sector.
Senior Vice President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Faad Waheed Sheikh said that technology and manpower could play an important role in the productivity of the country. He said that currently, NPO had a very important role to increase productivity in Pakistan. The cooperation between NPO and ICCI is very important in terms of productivity in Pakistan at this time, he added.
Faad Waheed Sheikh said that no sector of the country could be developed without innovation, adding that USA was an innovative country which had ruled the world on the basis of innovation.
He said that there was need to extend information technology to more sectors in the country, which could increase productivity in the country.
He said that smart ideas were needed in the country which would enhance economic productivity in the country and increased economic opportunities, automation of public and private sector in the country was necessary for economic productivity and innovation.
While addressing the gathering, Dr. Ali Sajid, an expert in productivity, said that industrial and agricultural productivity was very important to strengthen the country’s economy. He said that economic productivity was the main driver of sustainable economic development in the country.
Ali Sajid said that the productive culture in the country needed to acquire a productive capacity in Industrial sector, which must be worked on by the NPO. He said that to increase innovation and productivity, we have to work at both academia and industry levels. Pakistan’s industrial production ranking is currently lower than the regional countries including Iran and Vietnam, he expressed.
Ali said that political stability was also coming from economic development, while politicians in our country talk about political stability first. He said there is no concept of productivity without quality, therefore industrial and agricultural quality is essential, adding that the countries which were developed, including America and China had created wealth only through innovation.
“Our regional countries developed agriculture by increasing innovation and productivity in agriculture and today Pakistan is importing food. The reason for the lack of industrial productivity in Pakistan is that stakeholders are not consulted here. The economic development of Korea, Japan and Vietnam is the main reason for innovation and productivity”.
On this occasion, Chief Executive Officer NPO Alamgir Khan said that NPO was working on bringing the productivity culture to market the country in global market. We are starting to gain productivity in the country which is having a positive impact. We are currently working on Productivity drive and Chamber of Commerce and Industry, schools, colleges and universities, he added.
He said that NPO was working on Productivity Vision 2025, which would increase industrial efficiency in the country.
On this occasion, President Rawalpindi, Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Riffat Shaheen said that the government had to take all the business community and stakeholders on board. She said that more work was needed for industrial productivity in the country. She said that Rawalpindi Women Chamber was working together with NPO.
On this occasion, Director National Science and Technology Park, Dr Salman Naqvi said we are working on productivity and Innovation for the economic growth of country through promoting tecnology.