TOKYO-- Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata visited Lao PDR on 23 and 24 November 2023 to meet high-level officials and inaugurate the National Productivity Festival and Exhibition on Innovations for Higher Quality in Vientiane.

During his visit, Secretary-General Dr. Indra met H.E. Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Malaythong Kommasith, Minister of Industry and Commerce, to discuss the productivity challenges and opportunities facing Lao PDR and the APO’s support for its national productivity strategy. The Deputy Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation for the 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.

Minister Kommasith emphasized the importance of ensuring broad, direct impacts of productivity improvement efforts on the country’s competitiveness. With more liberalized markets in the region, competitiveness is the primary aim of increasing efficiency. He hoped for continued and deeper support from the APO to Lao’s productivity progress.

Secretary-General Dr. Indra congratulated Lao PDR for its remarkable progress in improving its productivity performance since it joined the APO in 2002, achieving the fastest labor productivity growth among member countries during 2011-17. He also emphasized the need for Lao PDR to diversify its economic structure and promote productivity growth in other sectors, especially among SMEs, which are the backbone of the economy and the source of job creation and income generation. Improving regulatory management supporting productivity and ease of doing business was among strategies that could be deployed, added Dr. Indra.

The APO Secretary-General reiterated the APO’s commitment to working with Lao PDR in its productivity endeavors by providing policy advisory services, capacity-building programs, 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.

Secretary-General Dr. Indra also inaugurated the National Productivity Festival and Exhibition on Innovations for Higher Quality, organized 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, including the youth. He 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.