Full computerization among 2016 plan for GPOC

Jan 04, 2016 News

By Jarryl Bryan
The Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) is moving to make its services on par with other postage companies such as FEDEX and DHL, for 2016. This will include fully computerizing counter operations, providing motorcycles for postage deliverers and other equipment.
This is according to Karen Brown, Postmistress General of the GPOC. She also noted that through the Caribbean Postal Union, a training school was opened in Barbados in 2015 and GPOC has already benefitted from three training programs. She stated that areas of security and domestic operations were covered in the training.
“We have to come to par with FEDEX, DHL and our other competitors,” she pointed out, during the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s end of year press conference. She stated that this will come about, partly, through a Regional effort. She also spoke of improving the corporation’s express mail capabilities.
“We’ll be looking to push our express mail service, since we have Fly Jamaica (airlines). We have to look for another carrier for Europe. We’re also looking to capitalize on training. And in terms of ICT, we are looking to computerize most of our operations.”
“(Currently) 41 of our offices have computers and by February our counter operations at GPO will be fully computerized,” she said. “We already have ten computers (waiting) to roll out.”
She also spoke of two projects funded through the Quality Service Fund (QSF). Those projects were the insulation of cluster boxes and the supply of motorcycles to Postmen. Brown projected that for 2016, postal service is likely to get a revamp through this initiative.
“At the close of the (cluster box) project, we had additional funds to draw down. So we intend to utilize it to buy some more motorcycles to increase our efficiency in our mail delivery.”
In addition, Brown stated that more objectives for the first quarter of 2016 would include acquiring a scanner and two more vehicles, with funding from the QSF.
2015 performance
In her presentation, Brown revealed that for the year 2015, the Corporation had to move to other areas of making revenue as use of postal services reduced.
“We all know post is dying,” Brown stated, “With the advent of email and Whatsapp. So the other services that we were involved in are bill payments from GT&T (Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company), GPL (Guyana Power and Light), GWI (Guyana Water Incorporated), Courts and domestic money order remittances.”
She stated that this was offered throughout the country at the Corporation’s 64 locations. She also listed the domestic parceling and packaging service as another source of revenue. In addition, she gave credit to domestic and express mail service, postage and revenue stamp sales.
Brown noted that at November 2015, total mail handled was 6,979,021 pieces, compared to 7,389,194 pieces in 2014, a reduction of 31 percent. According to the Head of the Corporation, this was inclusive of AIR-mail and domestic mail.
Brown noted that government agencies, which have generally been moving towards providing electronic billing and other services on their websites to customers, have contributed to this decrease.
“(However) we are trying to push our money order service,” she said. “You can be in Port Kaituma and send money for your relative in Georgetown or any part of the country where we have a presence.”
“And also we have the Postal Money Order in the form of a cheque,” Brown continued.
“So if you have a landlord and you do not want to interface with (him or her), you come to the Post Office, take out your money order and post it to the landlord.”
She noted that movement of mail was another challenge for the Corporation. She stated that in November 2015, they were able to rearrange the agreement with Copa Airlines to move mail to Cuba. Brown observed that this surmounted a challenge that they were facing in this regard.
“Previously it was transited through Jamaica to Cuba, but Jamaica had a problem. They kept the mail for a couple months, and then returned it to Guyana. So we met with Copa and they are moving mail for us to Cuba.”

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