Modern technology for post offices

Networking of post offices already begun :

By Naalir Jamaldeen

Minister Jeevan Kumaranathunga

The Postal Services Ministry along with the Postal Department has made arrangements to celebrate the 139th World Post Day on October 9. World Post Day is celebrated each year on October 9, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969.

Since then, the countries across the world participate annually in the celebrations. The Postal service in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.

Sri Lanka Post has a long history of 209 years, goes back to 1798. When the colonial Dutch ruled the country, they started five post offices in the Maritime Districts under their control. In 1799, they published the first postal regulations and postage rates. The Dutch East India Company operated the Postal service, for official use only.

After the British took control of the country in 1815, the first Postmaster General (PMG) of Ceylon was A. Kennedy, an Army Officer. However, there were other Post Master Generals since 1815, when E. Bletterman was the PMG for the whole island. Lewis Sansoni succeeded Bletterman as the second Postmaster General in 1817. The third Postmaster General was Major G. Stewart, who extended the postal services to major towns in the country.

Nuwara-Eliya post office

The new Pallai post office

They re-organised the postal service and others eventually established a permanent Post Office in Colombo in 1882.

The Government has taken steps to equip the post offices with modern technology, according to Postal Services Minister Jeevan Kumaranathunga.

He said that the post offices in the Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Jaffna districts were renovated and rehabilitated at a cost of Rs. 26.61 million under the "Uthuru Wasanthaya" Northern development drive.

Rupees 41.16 million has been allocated to each district for equipment and other infrastructure development.

Postal Department is a service oriented institution and it has extended its services from city to rural villages.

The relevant authorities have been instructed to provide effective and efficient service to customers through post offices. A large number of programs have been implemented to improve the standards of post offices under "Negenahira Navodhaya, Jathika Saviya and Gama Neguma" programs implemented under the "Mahinda Chinthanaya" national development concept. In addition to its normal services, the Post Department provides certain kinds of welfare services such as helping patients (cancer, TB), patients paying charity allowance to widows and pension for retired Government servants, farmers and fishermen even amidst various difficulties undergone in the day-to-day operation.

The Postal Department has launched a project to construct holiday Bungalows in Trincomalee, Sigiriya and other tourist destinations.

The advent of modern technology has culturally, politically and economically tied up the countries with one another. It is time to provide services satisfactorily to customers, only then can an institution or firm be sustained in the industry, the Minister said.

He said, at a time we are preparing to celebrate the 139th World Postal Day we should be prepared to face the challenges in the telecommunication sector. The introduction of modern technology, resulting in new services are the only means to attract customers and sustain in the industry.

The Minister said, the Department has a big responsibility in serving the public. The contribution and the tireless efforts of employees from the top to the lower ranks are equally important to achieve the proposed target. The Government has taken measures to improve the postal service, he said.The Minister said, 21 new services will be introduced to the post offices after the completion of networking, in addition to the prevailing services. The failure to introduce new services and the emergence of competitive private sector telecommunication service providers have resulted in the decrease of customers. The Postal Department has had no access to technology, due to which the Department faces threats in sustaining in the industry, the Minister said.

Ten years ago the daily mail exchange was nearly two million, but now it has reduced to less than 500,000, and most of them are for business purposes, the Minister said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa granted permission to a proposal submitted by Postal Services Minister Jeevan Kumaranathunga to introduce modern technology to post offices.

The networking of post offices have already commenced with the help of the Moratuwa University. Under the first phase of the project 640 main post offices have been absorbed for networking. The entire postal grid will be networked under the second phase. The main event will be held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. "Employment have been provided to 1,080 youth who are computer literate, so that the new services can be provided to customers easily," Minister Kumaranathunga said. He said, we can't make this journey alone. The support of experienced personnel and the dedication of employees are crucial.

A committee has been set up consisting of intellectuals. The Committee will hold discussions from time to time to discuss future plans and the challenges to be overcome by the Postal Department.

Postal stamps take prominence in the process of sending letters and other documents. Besides being visually attractive stamps have a vast meaning, and facilitate to transmit a postal article from one end of the globe to other, thereby binding people, the Minister said.While successfully managing the traditional service, postal services around the world have gone far ahead to integrate with modern technology, thus enabling millions of customers to have access to the most modern technological facilities at an affordable price, he said.

The post is present almost everywhere, even in the remotest corners of many countries, as an important point of access to the outer world without any discrimination. Its doors are open to anyone irrespective of race, caste, colour, religion or social standing. The present day post office is more than a place where you go to send or receive a letter or a parcel, it is a place for electronic and financial service. With big challenges facing the international community, the postal sector increasingly devotes itself to bring information within the reach of millions of people who currently lack access to the Internet or other communicative technologies.

The world postal network has evolved greatly over the past five years. More than ever before, the activities of postal sectors help build national economies of underdeveloped and developing countries and reduce poverty in these countries.

The modern services provided by the postal services around the world are made use of, to the maximum by the world population in different walks of life, especially by migrant workers employed in the Western and Arab world. According to the World Bank statistics migrant workers have transmitted over US$ 182 million in 2010 to Sri Lanka.