The postal service could be used in eCommerce delivery. The communication minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, has teased the idea of using Nepal’s pioneering Hulak Sewa as an eCommerce to turn it into a profitable enterprise.
The idea of turning the government-owned postal service into an eCommerce delivery is not new. Earlier, the Ministry of Communication, Information, and Technology (MoCIT) tabled the proposal as part of modernizing the service. But the plan didn’t materialize in the subsequent fiscal years starting FY 2079/80. At the time, the then MoCIT Secretary Baikuntha Aryal had presented the idea as a need to transform the dating service for sustainability and efficiency.
“We need to prove that income can be generated through e-commerce along with services,” Minister Gurung said. “The government can make effective improvements to the necessary acts, laws, and policies for that.”
He also remarked that to improve the postal service, the office requires more technologically sound human resources. The staff at the office should focus on office management, and the postal service must be technology-friendly.
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More steps to modernize postal service
The minister said that converting the postal service into an eCommerce one would help make it a profitable company. With the emergence of social media apps and the wide access to the internet, use of the postal service has largely shrunk among the public. Therefore, the idea of modernizing it and diversifying its services has dominated topics in recent years. But concrete initiatives have been rather lacking.
General Postal Service is Nepal’s oldest mail service active since 1878 A.D. The organization has become a member of the Universal Posta Union (UPU) in 1956 and the Asia Pacific Postal Union (APPU) in 1982 A.D. expanding its network worldwide. Don’t miss: Nepal Government to Implement an Integrated ICT Policy
The organization has in total 3997 branch offices in operation. As for deliveries, it offers service in two categories – commercial and mandatory. The commercial deliveries include letter, parcel, and post box services, while mandatory includes postal saving bank.
Integrating postal service into eCommerce delivery will help the public service become more advanced, and efficient. It is one of those improvements, the organization has sought in recent years. Let’s hope the government doesn’t let up in advancing the prestigious organization which has been a key mail service for Nepalese for decades.
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