Zim marks World Post Day

the right strategies to adapt to a New World” was held in Doha, Qatar.
In his annual message, UPU director-general Mr Edouard Dayan said postal services were an integral part of the dynamic era of new information and communication technologies.
He urged postal companies to be innovative and develop efficient and accessible services.
“With it, posts across the globe will fulfil their potential as motors of national economies,” he said.
More than 2 200 delegates gathered to discuss the future of the postal sector, adopt the organisation’s work programme for the next four years and refine the rules for international mail exchanges among the UPU’s 192 member countries.
Mr Dayan urged governments to step up to the mark and give essential support to the postal sector.
The UPU intends to hammer this message home to governments at next week’s ministerial conference, where more than 50 ministers responsible for the postal sector and several captains of the postal industry are expected to attend.
They will be expected to share their insights on the prospects of the postal industry.
Some of the proposals that the 25th congress has already approved include the UPU’s future activities with particular focus on trade facilitation, financial services and postal e-services.
The 2011 UPU statistics show a continuation of clear trends in the global postal sector, including the decline of letter-post and parcels volumes.
Postal companies have also been diversifying into logistics and financial services, which have become major revenue streams. Letter-post still accounts for 48 percent of global postal revenues of US$304 billion but in some countries postal financial services account for more than 50 percent of the revenues.
While postal e-services still contribute modestly to revenues, postal firms are making strides in developing postal e-services while maintaining the efficiency of their traditional services.
Zimpost, the country’s postal services provider, has since diverted from its core business.
Low business in the postal sector due to globalisation and highway technology that brought Internet services and mobile phone messaging has prompted the postal service provider to introduce some cash generating schemes.
Zimpost is now into real estate, selling of airtime recharge cards, advertising and also offers insurance and banking services.
World Post Day is celebrated annually on October 9. It marks the creation of the Universal Postal Union on October 9 1874. The first congress was held in Berne, Switzerland.