Even as extensive
deliberations are taking place at the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU)
World Postal Congress on the possibility of the industry diversifying
its operations further, a number of delegates attending the 21-day
meeting feel that many national postal corporations have been unable to
launch initiatives in this direction owing to issues beyond their
control.
“National postal corporations could undertake diversification plans on their own, in line with the existing rule framework in their respective territories,” UPU Director General Edouard Dayan told Gulf Times yesterday.
A senior postal official from a South Asian country was of the view that though there are many areas that national postal companies or corporations could have explored over the years to boost their revenues even within their existing regulatory framework, the usual delay and red-tape at different levels have hindered them.
“Stringent government control on postal activities has caused more harm than good to the postal operations in many countries whereas wherever there is some element of flexibility, things have all along been different,” he claimed.
Actually no delegate to whom Gulf Times talked to is against government control on the postal activities. “However, there should be a boundary for authorities to intervene rather than interfere,” said a delegate from the International Bureau of the UPU.
There are certain essential areas which are facing uncertainty in several parts of the world because of poor delivery and newspaper industry is one among them.
A recent strike by newspaper vendors in some parts of India, considered the largest newspaper market in the world, with the industry’s annual advertisement revenues touching more than Rs250bn, explained the inevitability of having vendors to deliver products to the customers.
India has not explored the possibilities of utilising its extensive postal network of more than 161,000 post offices and 1.8mn employees, to deliver newspapers on a daily basis.
An effective rescheduling and reorganising of the staffers’ duty hours coupled with the recruitment of a few thousand delivery boys in the government sector, supported by proper logistical infrastructure would do well both to the postal and newspaper industries in a vast country as India.
“GCC states, in particular Qatar, could also effectively implement such a project if proper initiatives are made,” said a senior UPU official from Portugal.
Inquiries made with senior officials attending the UPU congress found that such jobs as delivery of newspapers by postal sector are already in place in some countries, in particular Eastern Europe and parts of South America.
“There have also been some incidents of the postal sector withdrawing from the delivery of newspapers in Europe,” pointed out a senior delegate from Great Britain’s Royal Mail.
According to unconfirmed information from European and African delegates, post offices in some countries in both the continents are sole authorities for distribution of such articles as text books and children’s accessories at the schools’ level.
The one-stop shop concept of post offices in some countries has been gaining in popularity in recent years by incorporating facilities such as retail marketing and round the clock medical stores.
“Depending upon the size and potential of the local economy, post offices could also undertake similar services, such as supply of medicines at affordable rates and distribution of text books,” said a UPU official.
When asked about the possibility of post offices in all major metros working round the clock, ensuring such services as the Express Mail Service, he said already the postal industry is working 24 hours in many top notch destinations to ensure that the mails are delivered to their customers in the fastest possible time.
“National postal corporations could undertake diversification plans on their own, in line with the existing rule framework in their respective territories,” UPU Director General Edouard Dayan told Gulf Times yesterday.
A senior postal official from a South Asian country was of the view that though there are many areas that national postal companies or corporations could have explored over the years to boost their revenues even within their existing regulatory framework, the usual delay and red-tape at different levels have hindered them.
“Stringent government control on postal activities has caused more harm than good to the postal operations in many countries whereas wherever there is some element of flexibility, things have all along been different,” he claimed.
Actually no delegate to whom Gulf Times talked to is against government control on the postal activities. “However, there should be a boundary for authorities to intervene rather than interfere,” said a delegate from the International Bureau of the UPU.
There are certain essential areas which are facing uncertainty in several parts of the world because of poor delivery and newspaper industry is one among them.
A recent strike by newspaper vendors in some parts of India, considered the largest newspaper market in the world, with the industry’s annual advertisement revenues touching more than Rs250bn, explained the inevitability of having vendors to deliver products to the customers.
India has not explored the possibilities of utilising its extensive postal network of more than 161,000 post offices and 1.8mn employees, to deliver newspapers on a daily basis.
An effective rescheduling and reorganising of the staffers’ duty hours coupled with the recruitment of a few thousand delivery boys in the government sector, supported by proper logistical infrastructure would do well both to the postal and newspaper industries in a vast country as India.
“GCC states, in particular Qatar, could also effectively implement such a project if proper initiatives are made,” said a senior UPU official from Portugal.
Inquiries made with senior officials attending the UPU congress found that such jobs as delivery of newspapers by postal sector are already in place in some countries, in particular Eastern Europe and parts of South America.
“There have also been some incidents of the postal sector withdrawing from the delivery of newspapers in Europe,” pointed out a senior delegate from Great Britain’s Royal Mail.
According to unconfirmed information from European and African delegates, post offices in some countries in both the continents are sole authorities for distribution of such articles as text books and children’s accessories at the schools’ level.
The one-stop shop concept of post offices in some countries has been gaining in popularity in recent years by incorporating facilities such as retail marketing and round the clock medical stores.
“Depending upon the size and potential of the local economy, post offices could also undertake similar services, such as supply of medicines at affordable rates and distribution of text books,” said a UPU official.
When asked about the possibility of post offices in all major metros working round the clock, ensuring such services as the Express Mail Service, he said already the postal industry is working 24 hours in many top notch destinations to ensure that the mails are delivered to their customers in the fastest possible time.
Source : http://www.gulf-times.com
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