Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia to Japan Dr. Tobias Mulimbika (L) and APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata.

Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia Dr. Tobias Mulimbika paid a courtesy call on Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata on 19 March at the APO Secretariat in Tokyo. Secretary-General Dr. Indra warmly received Ambassador Mulimbika, appreciating his interest in the APO and his visit to the Secretariat.

Ambassador Mulimbika stated that Zambia had developed a continued interest in the APO’s activities over the years, including sending observers to the APO Governing Body Meeting as well as Workshop Meeting of Heads of NPOs while he was President of the Pan-African Productivity Association. The Government of Zambia placed great emphasis on productivity and had set up dedicated departments, including the Kaizen Institute of Zambia, to lead the productivity movement in the country.

Secretary-General Dr. Indra and Ambassador Mulimbika had a detailed discussion on how the focus of productivity enhancement had gradually shifted over the years from the private sector, which pursued productivity for profit, to the public sector, for which increased productivity had significant downstream effects throughout the economy. Reflecting this paradigm shift, Ambassador Mulimbika explained that the Kaizen Institute in Zambia, which was originally administered by the Ministry of Commerce targeting the private sector, had been moved to the Ministry of Labour to apply kaizen methods to government and improve public-sector productivity.

Secretary-General Dr. Indra informed Ambassador Mulimbika that the APO offered a wealth of materials online which could be accessed by nonmembers, including research publications, P-Talks, and e-courses, as well as online training courses and workshops, which contained useful information on boosting public-sector productivity. Ambassador Mulimbika thanked Secretary-General Dr. Indra for the information, and they looked forward to future collaboration opportunities.