New technologies key to postal uplift - Posts Minister

Mohammed Naalir

The Postal Department could be converted into a lucrative venture only through the introduction of new services and technologies in addition to its normal services, Posts and Telecommunication Minister Mahinda Wijesekara said yesterday.

He said with the implementation of the proposed plans, the income of the Postal Department could be increased to Rs. 1,000 million by 2010. Addressing the media at the new Posts and Telecommunication Ministry premises at D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Minister Wijesekara said the Ministry has drawn several plans to develop the Postal Department that will not burden the Treasury.

Wijesekara said according to recent statistics the Postal Department is one of the three departments managed at a loss. He said all problems related to the development of the Postal Department would be solved soon.

The Minister said by merely depending on ancient methods the Postal Department could not be converted into a lucrative venture as it is a service oriented business. Wijesekara said the Government is the main telecommunication provider and it will never give up the ownership of the Postal Department at any time.

The Posts and Telecommunication Ministry will sign an agreement with Western Union Money Transfer Company to promote the Department's income standards. With the implementation of the agreement, foreign exchange transactions can be carried out through post offices in the country. This will become an additional income earning source to the Postal Department in addition to its normal business, the Minister said. The Postal Department has also focussed its attention on providing mobile phone re-loading facilities, he said.

Wijesekara said the Posts and Telecommunication Ministry had to pay a rent of Rs. 35 million for the previous building at World Trade Centre.

The main reason to shift the Posts and Telecommunication Ministry from the World Trade Centre to the Postal Department building was not only to overcome the expenses but also to ease the administration activities, he said. New ventures and services will be introduced to promote and develop the Postal Department on par with other lucrative sectors according to modern technology.

The Postal Department was also one of the income earning departments upto the advent of multi-national telecommunication companies. Deputy Posts and Telecommunication Minister M.S. Sellasamy said the telecommunication sector has become an unavoidable sector in the communication process locally and internationally.

Post Master General M.K.B. Dissanayake, Deputy Post Master General K.S.A. Senadeera and Telecommunication Trade Union representatives were also present.