5.6% productivity by 2031: Industries minister

The government is aiming to increase national productivity in all sectors to 5.6% by 2031 from the present 3.8%.

In order to reach the goal and increase the sector-based productivity, an action plan will be prepared after separately assessing demands of different sectors by experts, said speakers at a meeting.

The goal was set at the 15th meeting of National Productivity Council (NPC) held virtually on Sunday.

The meeting was presided over by Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun while State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder also attended the meeting.

To include the idea of productivity and modernisation in "self-employment and business ventures" textbook of class 9-10, the meeting decided to prepare and publish a script.

The meeting also urged Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics to conduct a labour force survey soon in order to determine the levels of productivity of agriculture, services and industries sectors, besides carrying on the ongoing activities of National Productivity Organisation.

At the meeting, Humayun said, "We must stress increasing productivity of all sectors, including agriculture. In this regard, the industries ministry has adopted productivity increasing strategies after consulting the eighth five-year plan of the ministry and other development research works.

"Increasing productivity is now a call of time in the context of globalisation."

He said, "Besides increasing agricultural productivity, every inch of arable land must be brought under cultivation. Moreover, we have to focus on producing expert manpower to increase industrial productivity.

"Ensuring participation of all stakeholders, including productivity experts, long-, mid- and short-term plans will be implemented in order to execute the national productivity master plan."

State Minister Majumder said, "We must pay more importance to the labourers to increase productivity, ensuring technical education and training for them as well as improving their workplace standards."

He also said, "We need to expand our global exposure after improving the quality of industrial products."

In order to increase productivity, state of the art and ultra-modern machinery will have to be installed at all public and private factories, he added.

The meeting was also attended, among others, by Industries Secretary KM Ali Azam, Power Secretary Sultan Ahmed, Labour and Employment Secretary KM Abdus Salam, Bangladesh Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr Lutful Hasan, SME Foundation Managing Director Shafiqul Islam, Additional Secretary of Planning Division Mosharraf Hossain, GM Tanvir Hossain of BEPZA, FBCCI President of Sheikh Fazle Fahim and Chairman of UMCH Preeti Chakraborty.