Posta awards best staff
On 2nd November 2007, Posta Uganda held a staff briefing for the first quarter of financial year 2007-2008 so as to evaluate its business performance over the last three months. The meeting was graced with the presence of some members of the incoming Board of Directors and they included: Mrs. Agnes Acham, Dr. Opuda-Asibo and Mr. David Nkojjo. In her remarks, Agnes Acham thanked management for having invited them to the meeting and pledged to work closely with the staff; she also called on everybody to always work diligently to achieve both personal and organizational success.

In accordance to the tradition at Posta, two members of staff are awarded prizes for being the best staff each quarter in order to motivate staff to work harder. Candidates for this award are nominated by staff and a committee selects the winners for each quarter and this time around, the winners were:

Mr. Raymond Angeru, a Postal Officer working at Entebbe Post Office.

Mrs. Joyce Tamale, a Postal Officer working in the Stamp Bureau.

During the meeting, the Managing Director made a presentation which highlighted the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for each department and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, such meeting present a platform through which staff openly air opinions, grievances and suggestions in order for management to take appropriate action for the betterment of the organization.

Message by the Minister of Information and Communications Technology Hon. Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira, on the occasion of the World Post Day, 9th October 2007.

On 9th October 2007, Uganda will join the rest of the world to commemorate the World Post Day and 133 years of the Universal Postal Union. The theme for this year is: “The global Postal network: Stay connected” which emphasizes the universal characteristic of the postal service and its economic benefits.

The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology shares the objectives of this year’s theme and we are committed to ensure that the Postal sector and Posta Uganda in particular, continues to provide high quality and reliable postal communication services.

Government recognizes the vital contribution made by the postal sector in the social-economic development of our nation. Even with the advancement in information and communication technology, the Post remains a significant service provider that enables millions of people to stay in touch with friends, family or for business. That is why Government is committed in the modernization our Postal sector.

I am pleased to note that Posta Uganda has fused modern technology in its service delivery so as to become a highly competitive organization. Today, all major Post Offices are automated making service delivery more efficient. In addition a host of new products and services such as Direct Marketing and an electronic funds transfer service have been put in place to satisfy market demands.

Accessibility to communication services is a fundamental human right stipulated by the United Nations and is a major concern of the Ugandan Government. Posta Uganda has over 300 Post Offices and another twelve outlets will be opened this year in areas like Bwijanga, Kakooge, Nawanyago, Nakapiripirit, Kaya, Bududa and Rhino Camp. This expansion drive has been made possible by the Rural Communications Development Fund which was established by Government to assist communications organization to invest in rural Uganda.

Furthermore, Posta Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to establish twenty Tele-centers throughout Uganda. The centers will provide among other services; internet and computer training services. It is expected that once this project is fully implemented, the digital divide within our rustic communities shall drastically drop.

In conclusion, as the world celebrates this year’s World Post Day and 133 years of an organized international postal system, I wish to point out that the future of the Post lies in its ability to reinvent the postal business and assert itself as an efficient and high quality communications solutions provider. On behalf of Government, I pledge our continued support in the quest to develop a modern and reliable postal sector in Uganda.

I WISH YOU ALL HAPPY CELEBRATIONS

Hon. Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Message by the Acting Managing Director of Posta Uganda, Mr. Alex Emmanuel Mulooki on the occasion of the World Post Day, 9th October 2007 on the theme:

“The global Postal network: Stay connected.”

Today we mark the World Post Day amidst stiff competition from a multitude of communication providers such as mobile telephone and the internet service providers. However, even with the emergence of such competitors it is sufficient to say that the Post remains the most accessible, affordable and reliable means of communication.

The theme for this year clearly demonstrates the central role the Post plays in our communities. Today, Posta Uganda has the most comprehensive network with more than 300 outlets and through our affiliation to the Universal Postal Union we deliver mail to 700,000 Post Offices worldwide. This network has made us a vital communication component that enables thousands of people to correspond.

Customer satisfaction is the driving force behind our success and our focus is based on establishing and maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the customer. This philosophy has enabled us to understand better the needs of our consumers thereby improving our services and expanding the customer base. Quality of service is another top concern for us Posta Uganda, as it is critical in the effective response towards the dynamic trends of the market place. We have established a number of measures to ensure that the quality of our service matches the expectations of the customers. These measures include the establishment of a quality control unit, which conducts regular quality tests so as to identify areas of weakness and recommend suitable remedies.

Over the last few months numerous developments have been made with two objectives in mind; improve the quality of service rendered and create new products that satisfy customer demands, and these include:

• Automating all operations at most major Post Offices to speedup service delivery.

• Introduction of new products such as “Posta at schools” which is specifically designed to promote the letter writing culture in schools.

• Expansion of our vehicle fleet to improve our mail and courier delivery services.

• Refurbishment of most up-country outlets for better service delivery.

The Postal sector has always played a major role in Uganda’s economy. Therefore I assure our stakeholders that we are committed to providing them with the best customer-oriented communications, postal, financial and logistic service in Uganda. A number of new products and services will soon be unveiled and this is part of a concreted effort that will enable our customers to “stay connected.”

As I conclude, I wish to thank our customers for the loyalty they have exhibited over the years and we look forward to a continued cordial and fruitful relationship with them in the years to come.

I WISH YOU ALL HAPPY WORLD POST DAY CELEBRATIONS.

“POSTA UGANDA, WE GIVE YOU MORE.”

Alex Emmanuel Mulooki
Acting Managing Director

Posta Uganda holds blood donation drive

In a bid to save the lives of those that require blood transfusion such as victims of motor accidents, mothers giving birth…, Posta Uganda teamed up with Nakasero Blood Bank, to conduct a week long blood donation drive.

The event was held at the General Post Office from 17th – 22nd September 2007 and it was open to the general public. The exercise helped to amass large units of blood that will go a long way to avert death. This donation drive is one of Posta Uganda’s corporate social responsibility initiatives and it will be an annual event.

New Board of Directors for Posta Uganda enacted – August 10, 2007

On Friday 10th August 2007 Posta Uganda got a new Board of Directors, to steer the organization forward. The board members were introduced to the management team at a function held at the General Post Office and presided over by Hon. Ham-Mukasa Mulira, the Minister of Information and Communication Technology.

In his opening remarks, Alex Mulooki the acting MD welcomed the new board and thanked the outgoing board for the tremendous work they have done for Posta Uganda. Furthermore he said “I wish to state that I strongly believe Posta Uganda has got all the resources to deliver the aspirations of our stakeholders and I promise to work closely with the new Board of Directors to ensure that we focus on turning around the business while asserting ourselves as a high quality service provider.”

The out going board chairperson, Hajati AIsha Lubega noted that one of the critical areas that the outgoing board tackled was the overall mindset of staff. She said “In the past, Posta Uganda was just another public entity providing a service to the nation. The staff exhibited a “civil servant” tendency, which meant that productivity, commitment and innovation was lacking at all levels, throughout the organization. Today, Posta Uganda is an efficient and profitable organization with a young, dynamic, professional and motivated staff, which is driving force behind the successes we enjoy today. This achievement could not have been made possible without the contributions of each and every one involved. Your efforts have made Posta the envy of many postal administrations worldwide and a model postal administration in Africa.”

The incoming Chairperson of the Board Engineer Proscovia Njuki thanked the Minister for having entrusted her and the new board with the task of steering Posta forward. She thanked the outgoing board for their immense contribution in the development of Posta Uganda.

The Chief Guest and Minister of ICT said “One of the measures instituted by Government to build our nation is the enhancement of the Communications sector. It is for that reason my Ministry is working tirelessly to ensure that the potential of the Postal sector is fully exploited however, it is imperative that the sector looks to ICT as a core enabler for its survival amidst stiff competition in today’s dynamic market place. Government is fully committed in empowering Posta so as to fully develop its assets and potential. By doing so, Government will have moved a step closer in its mandate of providing all Ugandans with high quality, assessable and affordable communication services.”

The new members of the board are:

Eng. Proscovia Njuki (Chairperson)
Mrs. Agnes Acam
Dr. Samuel Ssejjaka
Mr. Deo Lubumba Kuzingoma
Prof. Asibo-Opuda
Mr. David Nkojjo (Union Representative)
Mr. Keith Kalyegira (Privatization Unit Representative.)
Mr. Chemisto Haruna
Dr. David Turahi (ICT Ministry Representative.)

Posta awards its best employees

In a bid to motivate staff to work even harder, management has come up with an exciting scheme of rewarding two of the best employees on a quarterly basis, this was revealed by the Managing Director during the quarterly staff meeting to discuss the performance of each department over the last three months. The meeting took place on Friday 3rd August, 2007, at the General Post Office.

This scheme will be conducted each quarter and the staff will dictate the winner by simply casting votes for anyone, irrespective of designation. The lucky winners for the past quarter are:

Dennis Lukuse - EMS Delivery Officer.

Kampire Devota - Postal Officer

At the meeting, the MD announced the formation of a task force committee that has been instituted to establish and assess the problems affecting staff performance and then come-up with a comprehensive report to be presented to Board and Management for assessment and implementation. The committee is made up of eight mid-level staff from all sections and departments within Posta.

Captions:

1 .The Managing Director in the centre together with the management team entertian questions from staff during the staff meeting. 2 . Happy Dennis Lukuse, an EMS delivery officer won himself a cool DVD player 3 . An excited Kampire Devote, a Postal Officer working in the Central Sorting Centre, receives her prize from the MD comprising of an executive dinner set and glassware set. .

Posta donates to Rotary Club

As part of an initiative of giving back to the community part of its precedes, Posta Uganda donated money to Rotary Club of Kampala– Ssese island during the inauguration ceremony of its new President Mr. Henry Kiberu on 7 July, 2007. The occasion was hosted at the Shell Club in Lugogo and was quite well attended by Rotarians, friends and well-wishers.

The Posta Uganda Managing Director Alex E. Mulooki was the guest of honor and he gave a speech highlighting the commonality in Posta Uganda’s and Rotary International’s objectives such as community development programmes and charity work. He also donated one million shillings to RCKSI to aid in its continued efforts to help humanity. He also pledged to continue working closely with organizations such as RCKSI so as to bring hope to the disadvantaged.

In a bid to gain back a significant market share and promote the letter writing culture in schools, Posta Uganda launch a new and exciting product “Posta@schools, your friendship link” on July 14th, 2007. This product has been specifically designed to cater for students that wish to communicate with friends and family within Uganda and the rest of East Africa. The promotion will be unveiled in thirty one selected schools, in and around Kampala over the next weeks.

Posta@schools has been designed to offer students:

A cheap product.

A homely product.

An easy to use product.

A true friendship communication link solution

For only 300/= a student will get:

A free envelop

Free paper

Prepaid stamp

Everyday pick-up service.

This product is currently limited to Uganda and the rest of East Africa.

EMS rates revised

In a bid to improve the quality standards that Posta intends to offer its customers, all rates for local and international EMS Courier services have been revised with effect from 1st July 2007. This comes at a time when operation costs have shot through the roof emanating form factors such as high fuel costs, high air carrier charges… It is expected that with the new charges in place, Posta will sufficiently provide customers with an efficient and still the most affordable courier services in Uganda. Furthermore, other value addition initiatives such as track and trace capability for domestic mail items and an efficient door-to-door delivery service in all major towns will be soon put in place. Customers are advised to contact the EMS office, customer service or just simply log on to our website, for more information and a full list of the new rates.

Posta Uganda hosts the 11th East African Regional Task Force meeting.

With the East African political leaders are engaged in deepening regional cooperation, they could borrow a leaf from the regional postal industry. Indeed, the East African Regional Postal and Telecommunications Operators (EARPTO), has continued to bring closer the East African partners in identifying common challenges and mapping out solutions to these challenges through rigorous interactions.

It is in such a spirit that Uganda hosted the Quality of Service (QoS) Taskforce Meeting. The QoS taskforce is one of many arms of EARPTO tasked with improvement of quality of service for consumers of postal services in East Africa and beyond. Traditionally, the workshop rotates among partner administrations and takes place twice a year. The frequency of meetings was increased to two last year because it was felt that quality testing reports – which form the subject matter for discussion - should be discussed while they are still relevant so that any challenges affecting quality are identified and attended to promptly.

The three day workshop held in Kampala on 27th – 29th June, 2007, which was graced by participants from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda established that the level of performance for the March 2007 tests indicated good performance within the region albeit with several areas that need improvement.

The workshop discussed issues such as relations with airlines, domestic mail conveyance, customs issues and mail handling processes emanating from observations made to visits at EMS, Central Sorting Centre and by extension the Entebbe Mailing Unit.

The visiting delegates commended Uganda’s initiative of separating the Office of Exchange from Kampala boxes. For the uninitiated, this simply means recognizing that the sorting centre plays 2 roles, i.e. exchanging mail domestically e.g. between Kabale and Arua, and internationally e.g. between Jinja and New York. The second role is that the Centre also serves the biggest number of Posta’s customers through over 20,000 boxes (accounting for over 50% of total mail volumes handled nationwide) at GPO. These two distinctive roles have tended to be collapsed into ‘sorting’, with cross – functional ramifications, an experience not only in Uganda but in many other postal administrations, particularly in Africa.

Recommendations and action points were made and a decision for conducting the next workshop – Kenya, was decided. This meeting will be held in late November, 2007, following a test to be carried out in September. This is a timely opportunity to experience Kenya’s readiness to host the forthcoming UPU Congress in 2008.

Posta Uganda and Brussels Airlines form a partnership.

On 5th June 2007, the Posta Uganda announced it new partnership with Brussels Airlines at a Press Conference held at the General Post Office.

Through this partnership, Posta Uganda will use the carrier to transport mail to numerous destinations worldwide. Furthermore, Posta Uganda will market the Post Bus service to the numerous tourists and businessmen and women that come to Uganda via Brussels Airlines.

In his speech, the acting Managing Director of Posta Uganda Mr. Emmanuel Mulooki said, “Posta has embarked on the diversification of its product and service portfolio so as to enlarge the cash inflow. This approach has enabled us to forged strategic alliances with organizations in various market segments such as Insurance and Telecommunication Agencies... The fact that today we are joining hands with one of the world’s renowned airline is a true testimony to that effect. Through our close partnership, SN Brussels, will not only transport our mail to all over the world, but we intend to tap in to the huge tourist market that Brussels Airlines brings in to Uganda, and as you are all aware, tourism today is the single highest foreign exchange earner for Uganda. With our Post Bus service, that has a fleet of 18 modern buses, we intend to offer tourists an affordable, convenient, safe and reliable transport service to any part of Uganda. Posta Uganda recently introduced the Arua and Gulu routes and we intend to add more routes and expand our fleet in the near future. I wish to point out that we do have plans to extend the service to Nairobi in what will be termed as the intercity bus service, just watch this space. ”

The function was attended by the Brussels Airlines Country Representative Declerk Pierre, who commended the partnership and thanked Posta Uganda for appointing Brussels as a mail carrier, while Godfrey Cherono the Cargo Sales Manager said that the airline had been focusing on transporting foods stuff but has now included mail because it fetches high revenue.

POSTA THANKS CUSTOMERS DURING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK

Posta Uganda Customer week was held during the week of May 28th to June1st. 2007. The major objectives of the week were:

• To understand our customers better

• To appreciate and acknowledge our existing customers

• To create awareness that Customer Service at the post office exists

• Build customer loyalty and confidence to enhance repeat business.

• Get feedback from our customers regarding our services through carrying out advisory boards and issuing out questionnaires. One of the major events during the week was a blood donation drive, which was part of Posta Uganda’s corporate social responsibility initiative, to give back to the community. The drive was not limited to only Posta Uganda staff, but all well-wishers that wished to contribute towards the saving of lives. A total of 185 units of blood was raised and we say thank you to all those that participated in the drive.

Throughout the week, customers had an opportunity to interact with staff, tour all the Company’s operation centres and get to know how they function. Lots of goodies such as T-shirts, pens and key rings were given out to our customers.

Through interactions with customers, Posta got an opportunity to educate them on the various products and services on offer and at the same time, got feedback, regarding the challenges they face in dealing with us. Posta intend to use the feedback to put right those areas that fall short of the customer’s expectations and also develop tailor-made solutions to their needs. Through out the week, customers gave advice on how best to maximize the benefits available through Posta Uganda services. Furthermore, Customers where also enlightened on how, where and to whom they should report to in case of any query or inquiry that they wish to log in.

There was an exhibition by Posta Uganda showcasing our products and services. Strategic partners that included Sheraton Uganda Hotel, Ridar Hotel, Celtel Uganda and Guardian Services also took part.

To crown the week, a dinner in honour of our customers and staff that have direct interface with customers was held at the Post office. Raffle draw was carried out the winning prize was a weekend for two courtesy of Sheraton Uganda Hotel. The second prize was a night at the prestigious Ridar hotel cottages, 2 fully connected mobile phones sponsored by Celtel Uganda were given out and lots of other prizes that included Baseball caps, T-shirts pens and key rings.

To the customers, thank you for your continuous support and indeed you are the reason Posta exist. To management and staff thank you for making this event successful and a memorable one. Lets all work together to serve our customers better.

Posta hosts a delegation from Somaliland

On Thursday 3rd May 2007, Posta Uganda hosted a ten man delegation from Somaliland's Post and Telecommunications industry who where on a familiarization tour of Uganda. The delegation was lead by Mr. Ambrose Ruyooka, the Principal Communications Technical Officer in the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. During the meeting, the Acting Managing Director of Posta, Mr. David Kitongo welcomed the delegation to Posta and thereafter made a PowerPoint presentation that highlighted where Posta had came from, where it is today and its future prospects. Furthermore, he called on the visitors to find way through which Posta Uganda can collaborate with Somaliland so that both parties can benefit from each other. The delegation shared there experiences from Somaliland, which they said was peaceful unlike there Somalia neighbors. They added that they had come to learn how Uganda has managed to push forward its Communications sector quite fast over short period. They added that they hope that the visit was to be the first of many yet to come.

Welcome: The acting MD, David Kitongo welcomes the delegation to Posta Uganda .		View: A cross section of the delegates
Marketing Matters: Wilfred, the General Manager Sales & Marketing stresses a point to the delegation during the presentation

Posta Uganda enters into an International Calling Card venture.

Posta Uganda and TalkTelKom a telecommunications firm that deals in international calling cards, have entered a joint partnership through which Posta Uganda will sale the calling cards at its Post Offices. This is yet another initiative by Posta Uganda to bring services closer to the people thereby making the Post Office a one stop center for a wide spectrum of communication services. The TalkTelKom cards offer customers a much cheaper alternative for making international calls as compared to the conventional mobile or fixed phone services available in Uganda. The services are initially available at the General Post Offices but plans are underway to offer the services at all major Post Offices countrywide, very soon.

Posta Bus to start Nairobi, Dar route- Sunday Monitor, 22 April 2005


POSTA Uganda will soon place a fleet of its buses on the Kampala-Nairobi route at reduced fare and ease traffic and cargo movement between the two cities.

Marketing and sales General Manager Wilfred Musinguzi said that using the international postal union networks, the company intends to link up Dar es Salaam in a bid to expedite regional inter-city mail delivery and communication.

"We shall launch the route chart to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, next month. Our travel fares will be Shs. 35, 000," he said during an interview with journalists in Arua town.

On Thursday, Posta Uganda launched daily bus service on the Kampala-West Nile route, dipping its economic fortunes in a fluid and highly competitive transport sector business.

It fixed its charges at Shs. 15,000 per passenger and the cheaper fares have violently shaken local transport operators who in the past two weeks raised their charges from Shs. 17,000 to Shs. 20,000 due to skyrocketing diesel costs. Following an acute shortage, the price of a liter of diesel in Arua town has recently shot up from Shs. 1,870 to Shs. 4,000. And black-marketers are cashing in on the lucrative fuel business.

A combination of falling stock levels, delivery bottlenecks and pressure from mighty customers have forced Pearl, Petrol and Shell fuel stations to halt diesel sale to the public – and the little deposits have reportedly been bought by bus operators to meet daily demand for the over 500km Arua-Kampala route.

Posta Bus service has added to the growing list of public transport providers to the formerly neglected region, which the dominant Nile Coach Bus Company had ruled for the last 15 years. Earlier, the route was punctuated by turbulent times of LRA raids in Murchison Falls National Park.

About two years ago, the James Nyakuni-owned Gaaga bus company unveiled a fleet of sparkling white coaches on the route, prompting a sudden shift in departure time from 4 a.m. to varied schedules of up to 8 a.m.

Gateway Bus Company and the usually fast-moving white coaches of a Lira-based tycoon are in the mix of the bus service in which better customer-care has become a hallmark of the increasing competition.

Posta’s Musinguzi said that his company had a proud tradition of incomparable excellent customer service – manned by highly trained staff. He was confident that they would edge out competitors.

"We pledge to make every effort in ensuring that your travel with us will always be safe, comfortable, enjoyable and timely," he said. Asked how Posta would sustain lower tariffs in the wake of rising fuel costs, Mr. Musinguzi said that their core business is delivery of mail. They would utilize the earning from passengers to subsidies the service – and as such any fuel price changes would not affect them adversely. Arua District vice chairman Kamilo Ssabo commended Posta Uganda for its quality-oriented service and asked its management to consider undertaking corporate social responsibility activities when it starts making profits, in order to blend well with local folks.

Posta Uganda honours its long serving employees

In 2006, Posta Uganda saw two of her long serving and most distinguished employees retire. These are Winston Sibo, the former Manager Projects and once the acting Managing Director from January to August 2006 and Mr. Silas Olowo, fomer Manager Internal Audit. In honour of thier long and dedicated service, Posta Uganda hosted them to a farewell ceremony that was held at the General Post Office on Friday 16th March 2007.

Present at the function was the acting Managing Director, Alex Mulooki, members of the Board of Directors and former collegues. In his speech, the MD said, "Posta Uganda has a tradition whereby we hold ceremonies such as this one to appreciate the contributions made by our colleagues that are moving on, after serving the organization diligently and this function is a true testimony to that fact. I am proud to say that both Winston and Silas have done a commendable job for Posta Uganda. They have contributed immensely towards the development of the organization and we cannot thank you enough. I should say that although we are all sanded to see them leave, they will always be part of the Posta family wherever they may go. I wish you take this opportunity to wish you Winston and Silas, all the best in your retirement and I hope you shall take off time to come back and visit us, our doors are wide open."

In a speech read by Mr. Ben Mbyangiire, the Chairperosn of the board of directors, Hajati Aisha Lubega said " On behalf of the Board of Directors and on my behalf, I wish to convey our best wishes to our celebrants as they embark on their retirement. I pray that no matter where they may go, they will always be our ambassadors and they will fly the Posta Uganda flag sky high. On thier part, the celebrants narrated thier expirences, thanked the board and management for giving them the opprtunity to serve Posta and thanked the organizers of the function for the wonderfull function. They both echoed the need for the yonger staff to pick a leaf from thier expirences so that they too can one day become celebrants just like them.

Posta Uganda wishes them all the best of luck.

Cost Accounting Workshop closed.
Wednesday, 21st February, 2007

On 21st February 2007, the Corporation Secretary for Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Mr. Hodge Ssemakula closed the nine day Cost Accounting Training workshop at Grand Imperial Hotel on behalf of the Executive Director of UCC, Mr. Patrick Masambu. The workshop which was organized by the Universal Postal Union and Posta Uganda drew participants from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Swaziland, Zambia, Ethiopia, Ghana and the hosting nation Uganda.

The acting Managing Director of Posta Uganda Mr. Alex Mulooki said in his closing remarks, “it is imperative that we regularly hold such similar symposiums which will enable us monitor and evaluate our performance against the pre-established standards that we have set. This I believe is the best way we can identify the deficiency in our quality of service and also find solutions to the problems at hand. Let us make sure that what we have deliberated upon does not remain on papers but it should become a benchmark from which we can position our stand today and put in place remedies, where we have fallen short of our expectations.”

The MD pledged Posta commitment in making sure that the recommendations of the workshop are implemented. He added that Posta will continue to work closely with all African administrations for the betterment of the Postal industry.

In his closing remarks, the chief guest said “With an ever-growing competitive environment in the postal business, it is critical that the little resources available to the Post are effectively and efficiently utilized. It is for this reason that areas such as Cost Accounting have become critical in the development and provision of quality postal services in Africa and beyond. In addition, these efforts to build capacity in Cost Accounting come at a time when UPU and its members are undertaking a review if the Terminal Dues System. This development makes it imperative for the postal administrations, especially operators, to ensure that their operations and services are cost-based.

He went on to say that, “Of course, as regulators who are entrusted with the responsibility of balancing the interests of both the operations and consumers of communication services, we are interested in seeing that tariffs/rates for postal services are cost-based, realistic and affordable.

To crown the nine day workshop, the guests where hosted to a delicious Chinese dinner at Fang Fang Chinese Restaurant in Kampala.

Closing: The Corporation Secretary of UCC and chief guest Mr. Hodge Ssemakula delivers his speech during the closing ceremony.		Certified: Mr. George Masambu of UCC receives his certificate from the chief guest during the awards ceremony as Innocent and Alex look on.
Group photo: The delegates pose for a group photo with the chief guests after the closing ceremony.		Delighted: Paul Senyonjo, an Internal Auditor at Posta receives his certificate from the chief guest.
Dinner: The guests get treated to a delicious meal at Fang Fang Restaurant in Kampala.		Customer Care: The proprietor of the restaurant chats with the MD-Posta Alex Mulooki.

Hon. Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Message by the Minister of Information and Communications Technology Hon. Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira on the occasion of the Pan African Post Day, 18th January 2007 on the theme:

THE POST AT THE HEART OF COMPETITION.

Today, Uganda joins the rest of Africa to celebrate a very significant day in Africa’s communications industry, the Pan Africa’s Postal Union Day under the theme: “The post at the heart of competition.”

This theme is typified by the high level of trust and loyalty that many communities, not only in Uganda but throughout Africa, have bestowed in the postal sector as compared with other forms of communication.

It is for that reason that the Government of Uganda is committed towards building a strong and vibrant postal sector through the implementation of a formidable policy framework, improving infrastructure and providing access to funding, in order to stimulate further investment in the sector.

In line with the Government of Uganda’s policy to liberalize the economy, the Communication sector has witnessed a surge of new entrants in the market. Government strongly promotes healthy competition in all sectors of the economy because it is the driving force behind the growth and development in any business.

Our Ministry has put in place a number of strategies that are geared at stimulating the development of the Postal industry. Among such policies is the Rural Communication Development Fund (RCDF), through which service providers are availed funds to extend services to rural areas. This policy is in line with Government’s commitment to provide all Ugandans with affordable and reliable communication services.

My Ministry is indeed aware of the stringent competition and other huddles that Uganda’s postal sector is faced with and Government is aware of the important role that the Post plays in Uganda’s social and economic spheres. It is for that reason that our Ministry pledges to encourage fair market behavior among postal and courier for the betterment of our nation and the sector in particular.

As Africa celebrates this year’s Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) Day, I call on the Post to devise ways and means to keep one step ahead of the competition. I wish to take this opportunity to commend the PAPU Secretariat for the excellent job done, in ensuring that the African Posts voice is heard on the local, regional and international scene. I wish to reaffirm the Government’s commitment in making sure that the postal sector continues to thrive in Uganda and Africa as a whole.

On behalf of the Government of Uganda I wish all Ugandans and the African fraternity happy celebrations.

Collins Oneko Managing Director of Posta Uganda

Message by the Managing Director of Posta Uganda on the occasion of the Pan African Post Day, 18th January 2007 on the theme:

THE POST AT THE HEART OF COMPETITION.

Aggressive competition has become a common factor in any business the world over and the Post is not an exception. Competition has evolved over the years due to factors such as globalisation, market liberalization and the emergence of new technology.

These market trends have forced Africa to open up its market to new private indigenous and multinational communication service providers. But studies have shown that the Post has remained on step ahead of competition simply because it offers the most accessible and affordable communication services in Africa and Uganda in particular.

The traditional African postal industry is facing stiff competition at a rate never seen before. In order for the Post to survive, it has to re-engineer itself so as to incorporate new technology in its service delivery or else it becomes obsolete. This is what the consumer market dictates today.

After the liberalization of the communication industry in 1998, today Uganda boasts of twenty five licensed local and international courier firms and one national postal service provider (Posta Uganda). The emergence of new players in the market has to a significant extent eroded Posta Uganda’s market share in some of its product segments however, the following steps have been taken to cope with the increasing competition:

1. Posta Uganda has developed and improved its knowledge about its customer’s needs by regularly conducting comprehensive market and consumer research.

2. Posta has established business relationships with leading blue chip companies in Uganda as its strategic partners; these include MTN, UTL, Celtel and EAGEN.

3. New high quality products and services have been developed to cater for the ever changing customer demands such as Direct Marketing service and Easy Mail service.

4. In addition, Posta has enhanced the competitiveness of its core postal products and services by adding value to them.

Furthermore, Posta Uganda has turned to new technology as a core enabler in the enhancement of its service delivery. Today, Posta has in place an electronic money transfer service, a track and trace facility for EMS courier service, an interactive website (www.ugapost.co.ug), to mention but a few. Besides all that, counter operations at the General Post Office are fully automated and plans are underway to automate all our regional offices in Uganda.

As I conclude I wish to stress that irrespective of the emergence of new players in the industry, the Post today still is at the helm of the communication sector but this should not be taken for granted. The Post has to continually reinvent itself in order to remain relevant in the market place. This will require the Post to look at ways and means through which technology can be used to enhance its service delivery and cash inflow.

Posta Uganda pledges to keep working closely with other African Postal Administration under the auspice of the Pan African Postal Union for the betterment of the African Postal industry. With continuous support from Governments, regulators, international bodies such as PAPU and esteemed customers alike, the Post for sure will remain at the heart of competition.

I WISH YOU ALL HAPPY CELEBRATIONS.