TANZANIA POSTS CORPORATION STATEMENT BY THE POSTMASTER GENERAL TANZANIA POSTS CORPORATION MR. L. B. MINDE ON THE WORLD POST DAY 9 TH OCTOBER As we celebrate the World Post Day today the Tanzania Posts Corporation together with other 188 Postal Administrations in the World find themselves operating in business environment of an increasing global economic challenge. Locally the Corporation perspective is focused on social post delivery services as well as engaging in the activities of commercial nature fully integrated in the overall economic development of the country thus fulfilling its core role as a factor of national social-economic and cultural development. TPC primary statutory objective has been to provide customers with regular, reliable, secure, efficient Postal services and products despite existence of competitive market environment and rapid technological change and emergence of new messaging, communication systems and service alternatives and substitutes. 1
The Corporation has been engaged in a continuous postal reform and modernization process throughout its existence; and accept these emerging technological challenges as opportunities rather than threats. National, regional and global developments and general industry trends have been followed closely in the communications market including general deregulation and liberation with a view to diversify and design new appropriate business moves. Strategies have been adopted particularly towards emerging transnational challenges posed by courier companies and enterprises who of late have embarked on aggressive crossborder acquisitions, mergers and strategic alliances with international mail couriers, mail houses mail intergrators and IT software developers in the e-commerce and ICT messaging systems and related transport and warehouse logistics. On quality of service enhancement, TPC has been participating in sub regional, regional and international monitoring of quality of mail service standards especially the measuring of mail transmission times locally and between various postal administrations internationally. The objective is to identify the weak links in global mail circulation and take corrective measures aimed at improving quality of service in mail conveyance and delivery. 2
The Corporation also managed to install the International Postal Corporation (IPC) diagnostic monitoring system at Dar es Salaam. The system uses transponders that are placed in letter items and mailed through the international mail network. Transponders when passed through the gates are recorded automatically into the computers installed in Bruxelles Belgium (IPC) hence the movement of the letter and the transmission times are recorded from the posting point or office to delivery point. The quality of service monitoring, mail circulation planning and finally reduction of weak links in the international mail exchange system is geared towards improvement of the market positioning of the Corporation in the postal mail business. In addition to the International Post * Net track and trace system installed nearly a decade ago to track EMS and other international registered mail items to delivery points; new planned technological innovations have been made. These include the successful implementation of counter automation project at regional postal centres, Business Counter delivery service at most of the Head Post Offices in Tanzania is now computerized. Planned introduction of electronic funds transfer within the national postal network is already underway as the appropriate software is now available. The East African Postal Automation under the UPU IFS system is another project which is on going since last year 3
for transferring data/information of Money Transfers within the East African countries. Bilateral Draft Agreements are now in the final stages to establish similar service with the postal administration of Japan where customers can remitt/receive money within a day. It is the desire and expectations of the Tanzania Posts Corporation to revamp the International Money Transfer Service (Mandat) which has remained dormant for a very a very long-time due to various reasons. The Postal network expansion and modernization process naturally calls for mobilization and also allocation of financial resources to the National Postal Sector. Increased resources from the national fiscus and from development partners shall enable TPC create the infrastructures that would serve and meet the objective of Universal Service Provision. A significant transfer of technical and managerial skills and postal management knowledge to developing administrations like TPC can be made within the technical cooperation and development of partnership programmes. The postal reform and modernization process will ensure in future sustainable postal development to support the new development in e-commerce and e-business on the one hand and on other gain a competitive advantage in the global deregulation and economic integration process. 4
As we broaden our horizons according to this years UPU theme, the corporation is focusing on the creation of total quality management systems not only for corporate growth and business survival in the era of liberalization and globalisation of the postal market but also for the fulfilment of contractual obligations in the implementation of the TPC performance contract with the Union Government. In the preparations for further commercialisation of the postal enterprise the management and the entire staff of TPC is committed to strengthening postal service within the country and providing quality service to all its customers at all times at all places. The World Post Day should be another day for furthering universal fraternity, peace and concord. Have a Nice World Post Day and Don t forget to Post a letter to friend with a message for World Peace and Love. POSTMASTER GENERAL, POSTA HOUSE, DAR ES SALAAM, 9 TH OCTOBER, 2003. 5