On November 20, 2025, the Sri Lankan government officially launched the National Productivity Master Plan, a five-year roadmap aimed at propelling the country from crisis recovery to productivity-led, export-oriented growth.
This master plan, covering 2024 to 2029, was developed by the Sri Lankan National Productivity Secretariat and the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, with technical support from the Asian Productivity Organization (APO). The APO commissioned the Korea Development Institute’s International Development Center to jointly lead the analysis and drafting work.
Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata, Secretary General of the APO, emphasized that the plan aims to help Sri Lanka transition from short-term stability to long-term structural transformation: “The period of stability has begun, but the transformation has not yet been completed. This ‘National Productivity Master Plan’ is the bridge connecting short-term stability and long-term sustainable prosperity.”
The master plan calls for targeted reforms focused on innovation, human capital development, modern infrastructure, smarter and leaner public institutions, and specific strategies for key trade sectors. By investing in highly competitive trade sectors and combining skills with development opportunities, Sri Lanka can increase productivity, expand its fiscal buffer, strengthen its external capabilities, accelerate its recovery from shocks, and transform overseas employment from a necessity to a proactive choice.
Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, JM Thilaka Jayasundara, called the launch “a very celebratory moment” in Sri Lanka’s long-term productivity enhancement campaign, emphasizing Sri Lanka’s commitment to integrating productivity into all aspects of society. She highlighted the goals for 2030: increasing industry’s contribution to GDP to 28%, building a stronger manufacturing economy, and raising total industrial output and exports to US$28 billion and US$45 billion respectively.
His Excellency Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, called the master plan a “turning point for national development” and welcomed the proposed National Productivity Commission, considering it a key success factor for the implementation and oversight of the plan.
Following the launch ceremony, Dr. Indra, Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Productivity Organization (APO), led a delegation from the APO and the Korea Development Institute, along with officials from the National Productivity Secretariat, on a courtesy call to His Excellency Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya of Sri Lanka. The delegation formally handed over the master plan and discussed feasible implementation pathways. This courtesy call reaffirmed that productivity is a top-level political concern and that the master plan will be considered a dynamic agenda for national reform.
National Productivity Master Plan (2024-2029)
The master plan develops a cross-governmental strategy aimed at improving productivity and competitiveness by prioritizing innovation, skills, infrastructure and smarter public institutions, while supporting key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, textiles and apparel, and software and information and communications technology.
About APO
The Asia Productivity Organization (APO) is a regional intergovernmental organization dedicated to working together to improve productivity in the Asia-Pacific region. A non-political, non-profit, and non-discriminatory organization, APO was founded in 1961 with eight founding members and currently comprises 21 member economies: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Taiwan, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.
APO promotes the socio-economic development of its members through national policy advisory services and acts as a think tank, driving institutional capacity-building initiatives and knowledge sharing to improve productivity, thereby shaping the future of the region.
