Tanzania hosts the 16th East Africa Regulatory, Postal & Telecommunications Operators (EARPTO) meeting
The 16th Congress of the East African Regulatory, Postal and Telecommunications Organization (EARPTO) was held in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania from 25th May -29th May 2009. The five day conference was attended by over 200 delegates from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi the host Tanzania, plus observers from these countries and South Africa.
EARPTO is an organization that brings together the region’s Regulators, plus Postal and Telecommunications service operators, to discuss issues that affect their sectors, and how they can coordinate to develop the Postal and Telecommunications sector. These meeting aim to harmonize and develop effective postal and telecommunication services within the East African Community.
Such a meeting is held each year on a revolving basis and 2009 was Tanzania’s turn.
The Dar-Es-Salaam meeting was categorized into three different sessions as follows:
1. Assemblies/Working Committees of the Regulatory, Postal, Telecoms Operators and Human Resource Development Working Committee.
2. The EARPTO Workshop
3. The EARTO Congress
The Assembly of Postal Operators/Working Committee:
The Working Committees discuss technical, operational and commercial issues related to their sector.
In this regard, the Postal Working Committee discussed matters concerning Financial Services, EMS and Parcel service, Quality of Service, Philately, Marketing, Development of Postcode and addressing initiatives in the region, ICT, Universal Service Obligation among others.
Some of the recommendations that the Postal Assembly came up with are:
1. A committee is to be set up to address the decline of Interstate Money Order Service and related issues.
2. Joint Inspection of Offices of Exchange and Airports was commended and it is to be maintained.
3. The scope of the quality of service tests is to be expanded to include other aspects of the business.
4. Member countries should establish contact committees with other stake holders like Customs and Airlines to discuss issues of mutual interest regularly.
5. Members to issue a joint stamp on the theme Youth and Sports for the year 2009.
6. Develop postcodes and address management systems to speed up sorting and delivery of mail, and continue lobbying governments for financial and other support.
7. Solicit governments and other international organizations for financial assistance in ICT development.
8. Train staff in appropriate technologies
9. Benchmark best practices.
The Assembly agreed that members integrate EARPTO recommendations into their administrations’ Strategic Business Plans to ensure effective implementation.
The EARPTO workshop:
A workshop was held and Posta Uganda presented a paper on “Emerging Consumer issues and experiences in the region- The Postal Experience”.
Some of the challenges facing the regional postal industry were spelt out as being:
1. Provision of a good quality, affordable universal service
2. Increasing competition
3. Economic uncertainty
4. Liberalisation of the postal sector
5. A different communications mix
6. Organisational structures and cultures
7. The way forward is:
8. develop and expand service portfolio
9. Focus on what matters most to the customers
10. Embrace change
11. Leverage our strengths.
EARPTO Congress:
The EARPTO Congress considered all Operators’ reports and adopted them for implementation.
UPU Conference: Impact of the Economic Crisis on Postal Activities
As G20 finance ministers meet in London to discuss the financial crisis on Thursday 2nd April, CEOs of the world’s largest postal companies as well as major postal users such as eBay gathered at UPU headquarters, in Berne, Switzerland, to talk about the impact of the financial and economic crisis on their sector. History shows that how the postal sector – one of the world’s largest employers – reacts to an economic downturn is a good indicator of how other segments of the economy might fare. The worldwide postal sector employs more than five million people – up to nine million if associated sectors are taken into account – and facilitates personal and business communication among billions of people and enterprises through the provision of a range of physical, electronic and financial services. The United States Postal Service, the world’s biggest postal operator, has already announced that, with no economic recovery in sight, it expects to process between 12 and 15 billion fewer mail pieces in 2009. Other operators are also experiencing similar effects. But the crisis may not be all doom and gloom for the postal sector. Postal leaders and major sector stakeholders discussed risks and opportunities during the debate on 2 April, and shaped a postal response aimed at helping countries recover from the economic crisis:
• How can the infrastructure of postal networks be part of economic recovery plans?
• Will the mistrust of traditional banking institutions generated by the crisis turn out to be a boon for postal financial institutions as more consumers turn to them to ensure their deposits’ security?
• What is the impact of the crisis on e-commerce and the parcels business?
As companies reduce their advertising budgets, how will direct mail - one of the most affordable and effective targeted advertising media – counter the effects of the crisis?
