The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
GOVERNMENTS have been urged to keep on supporting the postal sector through its digital transformation phase as the postal infrastructure could help them achieve the digitilisation agenda through e-commerce and provision of enhanced postal financial services.
Speaking at the 27th Universal Postal Union Congress held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday, Information Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services, Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere who is also the chairman of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) Plenipotentiary Conference, said men and women in the postal sector value chain was play an important role despite challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Acknowledging the important role played by men and women in the postal sector value chain who braved the challenges of Covid-19 to deliver important health requirements to institutions and citizens of our countries, governments responded by declaring the postal sector as part of the essential services.
“This allowed the smooth delivery of essential postal services to the citizenry during very trying times. We therefore, as governments need to keep supporting the postal sector through its digital transformation phase as its traditional role of last mile delivery of goods is here to stay,” he said.
Dr Muswere said they took note of the important role played by the postal sector during the lockdowns necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of delivering prescriptions, drugs, blood samples, vaccines and food stuffs.
He said there was a need to continue with the co-ordination and cooperation in setting out appropriate policies, standards and rules for the successful digital transformation of the postal sector.
“It is our hope that we will all expedite implementation of the recommendations of the Abidjan cycle in order to stimulate growth in parcel and financial services and monitor quality of service for customers globally.”
Dr Muswere said while the 27th congress deferred the matter of mandatory tracking of domestic goods and documents to the 28th congress, it was important for Member States to put necessary measures to start tracking in order to ensure that at the next congress they put in place rules that will align with customer needs and demands.
PAPU has called for the speedy implementation of appropriate policies, standards and rules that will lead to the successful digital transformation of the postal sector.
