Participants at the Productivity Talk Session at GPH. Photo – Fiji Government

Attorney-General Honourable Siromi Turaga commended Fiji National University’s (FNU) National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC), which is also the National Productivity Organisation (NPO), for enhancing the productivity of the Fijian workforce.

He stated this while officiating as the Chief Guest at the 2023 Breakfast Session Productivity Talk at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.

FNU Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba.

Key issues discussed at the session included improving productivity, labour market mobility, policies and the education system in skilling people for different industries.

Honourable Turaga said productivity was the ultimate engine of growth in the global economy. He added that raising productivity was a fundamental challenge for countries going forward, such as Fiji.

“The growth effect from the interdependence between productivity, innovation, and agility can only materialise if there is a firm foundational support. This is through improving the allocation of resources and raising the productivity level of the nation through a holistic and systematic approach on the Productivity Movement and spurring technological catch-up.”

“I am very much pleased that our own National Productivity Organization, NTPC, has been at the forefront of driving productivity programs for the nation.”

“I have been advised that this event is the second Breakfast Session – Productivity Talk to be organised following its success last year and there are many other productivity programs planned by National Training & Productivity Centre in the coming months future under the APO Outreach Programme.”

FNU Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba said NTPC remains committed to providing relevant training to continuously build a sustainable and productive globally competitive workforce.

“NTPC continues to work in the national interest by assisting Fijian organisations in developing human capital, facilitating productivity improvement initiatives and assisting Fijian organisations in raising productivity at the national and enterprise level,” Professor Nabobo-Baba said.

“We must all remember that productivity is a journey. The destination is constantly changing. However, we need to start the process today so that we can reap the benefits tomorrow.”

Post Fiji Chief Executive Officer, Dr Anirudha Bansod, spoke on productivity at the workplace, highlighting the importance of human assets which would help organisations grow in difficult situations.

“There is consistency needed in any management or transformation. Productivity has to change from the bottom up, and innovation, creativity, and passion for working must come up. Many people consider a job from 8AM to 5PM, and that’s where we will never succeed in transforming things,” he said.

“In India, there is a culture of innovation that is so big that the young generations are coming up with technology-driven innovation. In Fiji, we need to really create the domain of the technology-driven culture because if we don’t produce anything, then at the end of the day, there will be a trade deficit that will be very big.”

Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) Manager Membership Services, Research, and Communication, Savenaca Baro, presented on productivity and its importance from the employer’s perspective.

“As the company grows, the ability for them to increase wages comes into play, and the standard of living, health care, and education are things that people would be able to afford because of this,” he shared.

Semester 2, 2023 studies

Students interested in Semester 2 studies at FNU can Apply Now via the FNU website on  https://www.fnu.ac.fj/student/ or email to admission@fnu.ac.fj

For further information or queries, students can also Text (Toll-Free) to 857 for Vodafone and Inkk users.

Alternatively, applicants can visit any of the FNU campuses to submit applications.

Classes for Semester 2 begin in July 2023.