PHNOM PENH/TOKYO - Media OutReach - 14 December 2018 - The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) announced the release of the Cambodia National Productivity Master Plan 2020-2030. The document and recommendations were handed to Cambodia's Senior Minister of Industry and Handicraft Kitti Setha Pandita Cham Prasidh by APO Secretary-General Dr. Santhi Kanoktanapornin Phnom Penh, 13 December 2018.^[1]

APO Secretary-General Dr. Santhi Kanoktanaporn handing over the National Productivity Master Plan 2020-2030 to Cambodia's Senior Minister of Industry and Handicraft Kitti Setha Pandita Cham Prasidh.

Cambodia has enjoyed strong economic growth averaging 7% per annum over the last 25 years, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. That allowed the country to graduate from a low-income to a lower middle-income economy, as defined by the World Bank, in 2016. However, for Cambodia to sustain economic growth, raise per capita income, reduce poverty, and achieve the upper middle-income country goal, it must shift toward an economy driven by productivity.

The APO initiative to assist the Royal Government of Cambodia in developing the National Productivity Master Plan is aimed at achieving average annual productivity growth of 5.2% during 2020-2030. Besides the quantitative target, the document includes five qualitative goals as part of the Cambodia Productivity 2030 Vision and defines strategic areas to achieve the five goals and 2030 objectives.

"We hope that the proposed Cambodia National Productivity Master Plan 2020-2030 will serve as a comprehensive plan for the country to embark on a productivity-driven growth strategy. The time frame of 2020-2030 was adopted to align the master plan with the government's aim of making Cambodia an upper middle-income country by 2030," the APO Secretary-General said while handing over the document to the minister.

In accepting the document, Senior Minister Prasidh thanked the APO for leading the initiative for the development of the Cambodia National Productivity Master Plan 2020-2030. "This is the most significant policy document that Cambodia has ever received from its development partner," he said, adding that it was a very big contribution of the APO toward the development of the country. The minister said that the government would aim for adoption and implementation of the plan in mid-2019.

The master plan for Cambodia is intended to boost the country's productivity by improving the policy framework, ensuring optimal mechanisms for the national productivity movement, and aligning efforts with long-term development goals. The consultancy project was executed under the Specific National Program (SNP) of the APO and conducted in collaboration with the National Productivity Centre of Cambodia over a three-month period.

The SNP is designed to drive the national productivity movements of member countries by helping them improve regulatory and policy frameworks in areas related to productivity enhancement. Under the program, the APO provides customized technical and consultancy services to national productivity organizations or their partners for implementing projects that can address the specific needs and expectations of member countries to enhance productivity and competitiveness. It also supports member countries in advancing national productivity agendas and implementing key interventions to achieve productivity goals aligned with the APO Vision 2020 objectives.

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)