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| Sunday, 27 January 2002 |
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national plan of action for productivity
by SUREKHA GALAGODA Taking stock of strengths and weaknesses, improving vocational training, equity in economic development and consistency and continuity of government policy are some of the practical steps that have to be taken to improve productivity, Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy, Investment Promotion and Constitutional Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris said last week. Addressing the National Productivity Awards ceremony in Colombo, Prof. Peiris said that the thrust of government policy should be directed at enhancing human resources, one of our key strengths. He was of the view that it should be done through modernisation of education and making it useful. Prof. Peiris warned that Sri Lankans cannot rest on past laurels as money spent on education as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka is one percentage point below the South Asian region average of 3.8 per cent. Addressing the issue of vocational training, he said that young persons who do not get selected to universities should be provided with avenues to develop vocational training as it provides social mobility. The Ministry is working on a blue print to establish five economic zones as the UNF government has placed priority on developing regions as the government is interested in providing opportunities for all young persons in the country. Another priority is developing infrastructure to persuade investors to establish factories outside the urban areas. Prof. Peiris said: "No fiscal policy will attract investors to rural areas unless infrastructure is developed." "At present there are barriers for farmers to obtain loans. Therefore, we hope to formulate a scheme within four months to ensure that farmers can obtain funds speedily to develop their lands," said the Minister. The Minister was of the view that the prospects for peace are better than ever before. "It will not be a smooth process and we will have snarls and pitfalls, but we will not let this opportunity slip through our fingers," he said. Minister of Industries Rohitha Bogollagama said that there is a need for a new industrial culture to increase productivity and to change the attitudes of the people. He was of the view that absenteeism, lethargy and conflicts have to be addressed with a focus on productivity and economic development. Minister Bogollagama requested the private sector to support this endeavour by creating units to respond to the development of the industrial culture in their respective workplaces. Minister of Employment and Labour Mahinda Samarasinghe said that a comprehensive plan of action will be developed under the 100 day programme with the cooperation of all stakeholders to handle and improve productivity. Once the comprehensive plan of action is approved by the Cabinet, it will be made the national plan of action for productivity. He was of the view that to sustain total productivity, the government needs the support of the private sector. Minister Samarasinghe said that the Ministry is in the process of preparing an Employment Policy for Sri Lanka. It has contracted Ernst and Young to prepare the report. An advisory committee has been formed with officials of the government, employers and trade unions to liaise with Ernst and Young on behalf of the Minister. Productivity awards were presented in the sectors of Manufacturing and Service. The Large Category Manufacturing Sector award was won by Leisureline Ltd. while Royal Fernwood Porcelain Ltd. was the runner-up. Graphic Systems Ltd. won the award in the Medium and Small category while the runner-up was Swadeshi Industrial works. Winner of the Service Sector was Castle Street Hospital for Women. There were several merit awards as well. The Public Sector Productivity 5S Award was won by the Ministry of Public Administration, Management and Reforms. The winners of the Inter-School Quality Circle Competition and Inter-School Quality and Productivity Competition also received awards. The National Quality Awards were won by three service organisations, Lanka Electricity Company (Large Scale Service Sector category), MTN Networks (Pvt) Ltd. (Large Scale Service Sector category) and Logistics International Ltd. (Small Scale Service Sector category). The National Productivity and Quality Awards ceremony was conducted by the National Institute of Business Management, National Productivity Secretariat and Sri Lanka Standards Institute. |
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