My final months as an Advisor on Productivity to the Government and my entry into MBSL

In the previous two episodes of this series, I wrote about how I ventured into consultancy after leaving public office, how I was invited to lead the National Productivity Year programme, and how I worked closely with the Ministry of Industrial Development.

- By Suni G. WUJESINHA

C. V. Gooneratne

I also described the pivotal role played by the late Hon. C. V. Gooneratne, then Minister of Industrial Development, whose personal commitment gave real momentum to productivity promotion in Sri Lanka.One of the most significant outcomes of that period was the establishment of the National Productivity Secretariat (NPS). What began as a small unit has today grown into a large national organisation with over 600 staff. In this article, I reflect on my final months as an Advisor to the Government on productivity promotion, some practical lessons learned in public administration, the honour of receiving international recognition, and finally, the circumstances that led to my joining the Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka (MBSL) at a critical moment in its history.

I served for some time as an Advisor to the Ministry, working closely with the Steering Committee to develop practical, realistic plans to promote productivity concepts nationwide. Our main focus was on Japanese productivity techniques, including 5S, Kaizen, Quality Circles, and Total Quality Management. In designing our programmes, we drew inspiration from the successful national productivity movements of Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

While we achieved several meaningful results, it must be said honestly that the outcomes could have been far greater if policymakers at the highest levels had been more committed and consistent. A bold initiative titled “The Productivity Decade 1996-2005” was launched with much enthusiasm and promise. Unfortunately, subsequent changes in leadership and priorities at the NPS meant that this long-term programme was not sustained as originally envisaged.