GPOC goes digital

Feb 10, 2017 News

– launches online shopping network to boost revenue
The Guyana Post Office Corporation, (GPOC) yesterday launched its first digital shopping network in an effort to boost revenue and address the growing challenges facing the local postal service.

From right: Post Master, General Karen Brown, and Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes, along with other key players of SSOMS.

The Swift Shipping Online Mailbox Service, (SSOMS) officially came on stream yesterday, following months of trial. According to Manager of the online shopping network, Tiffany Ferrell, the GPOC service has been tested and proven to deliver in the past months.
She said that the Post Office Corporation is working to deliver the service countrywide.
Postmaster General, Karen Brown, noted that given its network, GPOC has the advantage of delivering on service better than any other online shopping network.
“We have 65 locations across the country,” Brown posited. She noted that the service is supported by PAKYA, an internationally known packaging company based in Miami, Florida.
PAKYA, Brown explained, is instrumental in getting the packages from the United States and other parts of North America and the world safely to its destination by air or sea.
The company has warehouses in Miami, FL.
Having personally tested the service, Brown noted that the post office has been efficient in having the packages arrive safe and on time.
Meanwhile Minister of Telecommunication, Cathy Hughes noted that the Ministry has been working hard to provide an enabling environment in which E-commerce can thrive.
“Today’s launch signals that we have joined the world’s e-trade networks in a bigger way since online shopping became possible. Today we’re adding our postal facilities, and raising the bar in Guyana, and ensuring that the Guyana Post Office Corporation moves ahead with its planned transformation to better serve consumers in this digital age,” Hughes said.

Minister of Telecommunication, Cathy Hughes

“As we all know, in this area we are miles behind countries like the USA, Canada, Germany and China, and even some Caribbean nations. But we are planning and putting things in place that will allow us to participate in electronic commerce (or e-Trade), and we intend to fully utilize the special features that we do have, “she added.
The telecommunications Minister outlined that the Ministry is well on the way to implementing the facilities and programmes for eLearning, and telemedicine, and a truly interactive online public service for our citizens.
“We are making great strides in the development of an online passport application process and other initiatives will come on stream shortly. We are aiming for a fully digital society, and mark my words – as soon as we complete the full expansion and upgrade of our fibre optic and LTE networks, and we have sufficient broadband capacity and speed, Guyana will have a few smart houses of our own.”
Hughes said that while the world is moving towards recalibration and dissolution of postal service, it will not be going out of business in Guyana.
“It is not an option, not for this government. Like every postal service in the world, years ago we saw the day approaching when Guyana would have to choose to recalibrate its operations; either contract it or dissolve it. So recalibration is what we’ve had to do to make the postal service relevant and necessary in this age of electronic communication,” she emphasized.