The postal service is still necessary, says Prime Minister Hinds
DESPITE the fact that world at large has moved to an advanced technology age, there has been no indication that the postal sector will become obsolete. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds made this observation announcement yesterday, at the Guyana Post Office award ceremony which marked World Post Day.
He explained that post offices were founded with the intention of transmitting information from one person to another, but with the invention of telephone and the introduction of the internet, this has changed.
The Prime Minister noted too, that while there are all these new technologies in the world, the postal service is still needed in some countries, such as Guyana, where there are remote areas that have not yet been developed enough to accommodate the internet and telephone connections.
“We still have places up the creeks and up the rivers and difficult locations which are not yet on the telephone system, but we are still required to take letters to them,” he stated.
Hinds emphasised that postal workers across the country should focus on the large amount of work that could be done and that could be done profitably.
“I agree that post offices should not disappear, post offices do not have to disappear, but they would only continue to the extent that they have transformed to meet the changing needs of people and the population” he added.
It is the task of every person involved in the postal system to be alert to the possibilities which will be able to make their tasks more effective and more successful, in keeping with their mission to forge stronger ties with their partners, he added.
Bishop Juan Edghill, Chairman of the Guyana Post Office Corporation, in his remarks, said that when it is recognized what is going on around the world in the postal sector, it should also be looked at from a local perspective.
“We have people here in Guyana who spend their time ensuring that the postal services in Guyana are not only there, but that it becomes efficient,” he said.
He also pointed to the fact that partnership in the world today is necessary since “a go it alone approach is doomed to failure”.
“We recognise that there are other players and we are not going to take an approach to lock them out but to work in partnership with them” he stated.
Turning his attention to the use of the internet and other delivery networks, he said that even while this is prevalent in today’s society, mail delivery and other such related services will still have to pass through the post office despite what.
“Even if people use another network, they will still have to get back into the postal network, DHL might deliver, but post provides universal services,” he added.
Edgill said that while Western Union is a partner, and that they are committed to working with it, they cannot match the services being provided by the post office.
“The hope is that the post office does not disappear in this technological era, and we promise you that whatever we are doing in the next year, we will be doing it better” he emphasised.
He said that recently the post office purchased some 15 more computers for counter automation work to make things easier in the system, noting that in the short term, every counter will be served with a computer.
He pointed out that the money transfer sector has been the busiest area in the postal industry, adding that strategies are being implemented to ensure improved services.
Also in some parts of the country, postmen and women have been given motor cycles to get the job done more efficiently.
Additionally staff members of the GPO, through a $50,000 grant following an aptitude test, have been given the opportunity to further pursue their studies to enhance customer service.
Meanwhile he announced that works have been completed on the Maburuma and Meten -Meer -Zorg post offices, after several complaints that were made.
“We are already transforming the appearance of the postal sector …we are working to ensure the viability and stability of the post office is maintained, and we promise you a modern a more efficient post office” he noted.
As in other parts of the world, World Post Day (WPD) was observed here on Sunday, October 9, to create awareness of the role of the postal sector, and its contribution to the social and economic development of countries.
The Universal Postal Union, in cooperation with UNESCO, has, for the past 40 years, organized an International Letter-writing Competition for young people aged up to 15. Entries must reach the UPU International Bureau no later than 30 April each year.
Next year’s letter writing competition will focus on writing a letter to an athlete or sports figure you admire to explain what the Olympic Games mean to you. The theme coincides with the Olympic Games being held in London, England, in 2012.
World Post Day celebrates the establishment, in 1874, of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), with its headquarters in the Swiss capital, Berne. It is the second oldest international organization worldwide.
Every year, more than 150 countries celebrate World Post Day in a variety of ways. In certain countries, World Post Day is observed as a working holiday. Many post offices use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.
Nearly 445 billion letters are delivered around the world every year, as well as 6 billion parcels.