Fiji represented at 61st APO Governing Body Meeting

Posted On: April 12, 2019

The Fiji National University’s (FNU) National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) as the National Productivity Organisation for Fiji led a delegation to the 61st Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) Governing Body Meeting in Manila, Philippines this week.

Head of the delegation and NTPC Director Dr Isimeli Tagicakiverata said the meeting reviewed the budget for the 2019-2020 biennium for sustainable socioeconomic developments for APO member economies, and also deliberated on programs that were priority to member countries. There are 19 member countries of the APO, and Fiji has been a member since 1984.

“Fiji has benefited immensely from the APO membership over the last thirty years and this is aptly demonstrated by the growth of the productivity movement in Fiji, which led to the success and popularity of productivity related programs such as Fiji Business Excellence Awards and Quality Control Circles” said Dr Tagicakiverata.

In his address at the APO meeting, Dr Tagicakiverata emphasized the importance of health and education as key to productivity in Fiji.

“Fiji has a small working population so it’s crucial that we have a skilled, educated and healthy workforce if we are to sustain or increase our labour productivity; but health is something we are conscious about because NCDs and individual health attitudes could affect us.”

Fiji was supported by Indonesia in the call for APO to introduce more Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) related programs and multi-country projects.

The annual meeting was attended by some 70 foreign and local delegates. Representatives from Fiji also included Deputy Secretary Operations and Policy at the Ministry of Employment, Mr. Sowane Puamau and NPO Coordinator, Ms. Kasturi Devi.

The Governing Body is the supreme structure of the APO and composes of directors designated by each member government who meet annually to discuss and decide on policy, finance, programs, membership and other governance issues concerning the organisation.

The NTPC is the designated National Productivity Organisation (NPO) for Fiji and has been the productivity promoting arm of the Fiji government since 1984.

Fiji will host the 62nd Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) Governing Body Meeting in Nadi next year.