Ghana Post Faces Threat From Private Remittance Operators
After private operators took over the parcels and packets segment of the postal market in Ghana a few years ago, the money and postal order services of Ghana Post are facing new challenges from private remittance operators.
“The Ghana Postal Service has come under formidable siege”, is what the former communications minister, Hon. Albert Kan Dapaah, said during the 25th ordinary session of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) administrative council meeting in Accra yesterday.
He also described the growth in electronic communication as a frightening situation to the development of postal services in Ghana as more people now use the electronic mail than ever.
The current minister of interior, Mr. Kan Dapaah, said bold, radical and innovative changes are needed to transform and turn whatever setbacks the industry has suffered to the advantage of the industry. He said Africa would need the moral support, ideas, guidance and financial support from the international community to respond adequately to the challenges in the industry.
He called on the assembly to consider re-introduction of instrument to facilitate postal savings to support rural credit operatives to have access to financial services relevant to their specific needs.
“Council must also consider the need to redesign and develop interoperable networks among African states to form the platform for the modernization of the postal network and improvement of postal operations capacities”.
He urged all the delegates that in considering the development plan for Africa (PDPA) for the 2006-2008 period, the council should be mindful of peculiar circumstances so as to enable the Universal Postal Union (UPU) support and assist Africa in implementing appropriate measures that will ensure lasting development of the African postal sector.
He said the government is committed to supporting Ghana post to develop ICT-enabled post offices in rural areas.
The chairman of the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission, Mr. Kofi Aduboahene, said postal services in Africa should be diversified to create wealth for the industry by taking advantage of new technologies. He called for the promotion and facilitation of technology transfer in its operations to meet needs of customers.
The managing director of Ghana Post, Mr. Kofi Dua Adonteng, said his outfit is exploring effective ways of entering the internet café market and has established on a pilot basis an internet café in Ho, which is doing quite well.
He said the main stumbling block to postal administration in Africa is inadequate finance to expand, especially in the ICT section.
