A three-day conference on ASEAN-APO cooperation in enhancing productivity opened in Hanoi on December 9 to raise mutual understanding between ASEAN and the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), towards fulfilling the United Nations sustainable development goals.

The conference is held by the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality under Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat emphasised that the Vietnamese Government highlights ASEAN’s role in reshaping the world following the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusting the global production and supply chain.

With ASEAN’s existing competitiveness, digital transformation capacity and high-quality human resources, cooperation initiatives on productivity between ASEAN and APO allow parties concerned to tap new opportunities and cooperation areas with specific projects, helping member economies become more productive, competitive and resilient to uncertainties in the world, he said.

He called on small, medium-sized and micro enterprises to adopt smart and creative measures to improve their productivity and competitiveness, especially those working in industrial production, agriculture and services.

The minister affirmed that the Ministry of Science and Technology will offer all possible support to the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality – Vietnam’s permanent representative at APO, to fulfill its role as Chair of the ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ), contributing to successfully realising an initiative on smart production 2020.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio said the Japanese Government is always ready to assist Vietnam and ASEAN member states in improving labour productivity.

The event will last till December 11.