Postal service undergoes radical revamping

Postal service undergoes radical revamping
From THE GLEANER, January 15th, 2001

The island's postal system is undergoing a radical restructuring,
with newcommercial activities being grafted onto the existing mail
delivery system, the Postmaster General Dr. Blossom O'Meally-Nelson,
told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) at its weekly 'Think
Tank' session last Wednesday. She said some post offices were now offering Internet access, bill
payment services and selling gaming products, and there was much
more to come. "Post offices are going to be the commercial centres in their area,"
Dr. O'Meally-Nelson predicted. "You name it, we are gosing to have
it." Partnerships have been formed with the Jamaica Lottery Company for
the sale of 'Lotto' gaming products and with Paymaster Jamaica
Limited for the delivery of bill payment services. An agreement has
also been reached while Cable and Wireless for the company to place
60 Internet kiosks in post offices. She said the organisation was talking with two banking organisations
for the establishment of financial or banking services at post
offices. "By next week we will have thedraft memorandum of
understanding." A memorandum of understanding has already been reached with Island
Life for the delivery of insurance products and final arrangements
are being made for the provision of travel agency services. A joint
venture partnership is also being considered with a real estate
development company. "We will be putting in automated teller machines, starting at the
Central Sorting Office," Dr. O'Meally-Nelson said. A relationship is
also being forged with the Jamaicga Lottery Company for the creation
of a wireless digital 'back bone' to link all post offices. "We will begin with the Liguanea Post Office to establish a
commercial centre," she reported, "and then we are going to examine
the commercial feasibility of introducing it at more than 25 other
post offices." Mentioning plans for the introduction of a point-of-sale system, she
said it would enable post office customers "…to just go to your
computer and purchase airline tickets, insurance ponlicies, pay
bills or transfer money." The transformation of the postal system is driven by a concern for
the viability and survival of an entity that has 320 post offices,
340 postal agencies, a staff of 2,800 persons and a $200 million
deficit. Dr. O'Meally-Nelson said the organisation has boosted its income
dramatically from the point where collections were about $80 million
per year to where "we are earning about $400 million in income now".
But, she pointed out, "we need to get overu the $500 million income
level". While income has increased, said the Postmaster General, expenses
have also climbed, keeping the deficit at about $200 million level.
She observed that "a whole new kind of thinking is needed" for the
organisation to become profitable. To facilitate the commercialisation of the postal service, the
Postal Corporation of Jamaica was incorporated and Dr.
O'Meally-Nelson named as its Chief Executive Officer. Plans were in
place to merge the Post and Telecommgunications Department with the
Postal Corporation of Jamaica so that the new entity can operate as
a limited liability company. "We have to market ourselves so that people will come and use the
services," she said. "This thing has to be put on a commercial
footing."
Copyright 2001 The Gleaner. Source: World Reporter (Trade Mark).THE GLEANER, 15th January 2001