Postal service for present day needs - Minister

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The postal service is to be developed to suit present day needs by infusing modern IT technology to Post Offices under a flagship program formulated by the Post and Telecommunication Ministry to provide a more efficient postal service to the people.

There are nearly 23,000 employees in the postal service, while 6500 Post offices and Sub Post Offices are functioning countrywide. Nearly 26 trade unions operate in the postal sector. The assistance of these employees and postal sector trade unions will be sought to develop the postal service which is considered as one of the oldest state institutions, said Post and Telecommunication Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga.

"I am having discussions with trade unions to obtain their views. There should be a mechanism which helps take forward the postal service without becoming a burden to the country. In addition, an environment should also be created to ensure the welfare of the employees in the postal sector by allowing them to perform their duties within a friendly working atmosphere," he said.

"No proper survey has been conducted during the past 30 years on the zones which have been declared to deliver letters. These zones have been subjected to a massive change during the past 30 years as the number of people living in one particular zone has increased. As a result, one postman has to cater to a large number of people in one particular zone.

Therefore the Ministry intends to revise this situation within the next six months", he said. Even today 98 percent of letters are delivered properly. Our intention is to bring this up to hundred within the next three months, the Minister said. "I intend to create a proper coordination between the Postal Department, officers and trade unions. The postal service plays a major role to distribute the Government documents and other important letters to the people.Therefore my intention is to bring this service to a satisfactory level", he said.

Preliminary discussions are being conducted with the postal sector trade unions. After that I will discuss with the Ministry officials. Later a committee will be appointed to look into the shortcomings in the postal sector and take immediate remedial measures to overcome them.

This committee also aims at making an attitudinal change among the postal sector employees. Our intention is to bring the postal service to a higher standard within the next five or six months, the Minister said.