Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Secretary-General Santhi Kanoktanaporn paid a courtesy visit on Nepal’s Ambassador to Japan Prativa Rana in Tokyo, 30 January 2018. During the meeting, Secretary-General Santhi briefed Ambassador Rana on recent initiatives by the Secretariat to undertake programs aligned with the Roadmap to Achieve the APO Vision 2020, smart themes, and laying future-ready foundations in member countries.

SG Santhi shared how the APO could contribute to the Nepalese productivity movement through these areas. He emphasized that policymakers should now focus attention on raising productivity through long-term foresight plans, giving examples of policies devised by other APO members and how they contributed to achieving overall development goals. The Secretary-General also talked about the APO initiative supporting Pakistan in creating a nationwide productivity, quality, and innovation (PQI) framework.

Ambassador Rana expressed interest in APO activities directed toward productivity increases in the agriculture, industry, and service sectors. She wanted to learn more about the PQI framework and hoped that Nepal could also benefit from it. Stating that she was happy to see more opportunities for her country to build deeper relationships with other member economies, the Ambassador assured the Secretary-General that she would discuss with relevant policymakers how Nepal, a founding member, could become involved in more APO programs for mutual benefit.

Ambassador Rana thanked the Secretary-General for the new initiatives and supporting Nepal’s productivity movement.