In a statement, he said the blueprint aimed to shift the approach to productivity from the primarily government-driven initiatives at the national level to targeted action across the public sector, industry players and individual enterprises.
Mustapa said six priority initiatives were being implemented under the blueprint’s five strategic thrusts at the national level.
These are: building a workforce of the future which meets the changing needs across the sectors; driving digitalisation and innovation through the adoption of innovative technology; making industries accountable for productivity through productivity metrics and outcome; forging a robust ecosystem that addresses regulatory constraints; and securing a strong implementation mechanism that will inculcate a stronger culture of productivity throughout the economy.
Mustapa said the 43 initiatives outlined in the MPB would be implemented by the governing committees, led by members from the private sector which comprise highly-skilled and specialised individuals.
He added that an improvement in labour productivity required the commitment of all parties to continuously undertake the appropriate structural steps and reforms.
“We have embarked on our public-private collaboration, where the government plays an enabling role, while the private sector is in charge of the implementation efforts in nine key sectors,” he said.
The sectors identified as the productivity nexus were retail, food and beverage, agro-food, chemicals and chemical products, electrical and electronics, machinery and equipment, private healthcare, professional services, information and communications technology, and tourism.
Mustapa said success in driving greater productivity in the nine sectors would pave the way for more sustainable productivity growth across the economy, including for small and medium enterprises.
“Despite the steady productivity growth over the last few years, it is still a work in progress, and we need to do more to boost productivity which will be the key to Malaysia attaining high-income nation status by 2020,” he said.
In 2017, Malaysia’s labour productivity grew 3.6% to RM81,039 from RM78,244 in 2016.