GENTLES

The following is World Post Day 2007 Message from Michael Gentles, Jamaica's Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer.

World Post Day is celebrated annually on October 9 to ensure that the role of the postal service in the global economy is recognised. The postal service continues to make a tremendous impact on people's lives all across the world.

Based on a global network of more than 660,000 post offices and approximately five million employees, it is a public service which continues to grow. Over time, the quality of service improvements adds tremendous value to both the business community and individual. Each year, postal services all over the world handle and deliver nearly 436 billion letter-post items in their domestic and international services, and six billion parcels.

Jamaica is a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) - a branch of the United Nations (U.N.) - and is the international organisation whose creation in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern, led to the annual World Post Day celebration. Our UPU-mandated universal service obligation requires us to provide consistently high quality, affordable postal services across all Jamaica. This places on us the tremendous burden of shunting mail all over Jamaica regardless of the profitability of such operations.

I ask you to consider the delicate situation that would be presented if we were to restrict mail delivery to the more easily facilitated - and less costly - primary urban centres. The director general of the UPU, Edouard Dayan, in his message this year, stated that the positive effects of universal postal coverage comes at a price, but that the post plays a tremendous role in the global economy.

I wish to assure the nation that the Jamaican Postal Administration remains committed to serving the people of Jamaica and, by extension, the entire world. Our commitment to keeping every Jamaican in touch with the rest of the country and the world will involve the integration of new delivery modalities and technologies, a spotlight on profitability, and a fresh legal framework, but with the same spirit of quality service.

Among the fresh approaches envisaged are the operation of a 'Mail Bus': a mobile post office that visits specific communities at pre-determined times on scheduled days. This concept, among others, is to be further explored as a cost-containment method. We are introducing Registered Mail and Parcel tracking systems - in association with the UPU - that infuse today's computer technology in our operations to enhance our quality of service for additional customer satisfaction. Additionally, the range of services offered continues to see development.

Successful 'voyage'

Jamaica's Postal Administration will have to pursue our vision and mission via the detailed modernisation proposal through the Postal Corporation of Jamaica. This act of guiding the Postal Service to profitability is not new, as many other UPU member states have successfully undertaken this 'voyage'.

The UPU director general also stated in his message that the recent triumphant worldwide distribution of close to three million copies of the final Harry Potter novel - all ordered via the Internet - is thought to be the largest ever single postal delivery. He considers the value of postal service across borders thus: "It is a key facilitator of trade between countries, or between regional economic blocs."

Postal services adapt in order to maintain their relevance, thus e-Commerce development continues apace with Postal Service transformation. For evidence, I ask that you reflect on the reality that the myriad Internet sales websites have become reliable because of us. I therefore ask that you consider this question: are we growing, or are we growing up?