Muswere urges Zimpost to adopt e-post concept
Zimpost has been advised to adopt the e-post concept in order to dominate its daily delivery of products and services in Zimbabwe.
Addressing stakeholders at a Zimpost strategic planning workshop, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said Zimpost was a sleeping giant, which should awaken and play an integral part in facilitating ICT programmes in line with the country’s economic reform programmes such as the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) to attain Vision 2030.
President Mnangagwa recently unveiled the NDS 1, which will run from 2021-2025, as the country seeks to achieve an upper middle income society. Dr Muswere said e-post was critical in these trying times of Covid-19 as it promotes World Health Organisation guidelines to curb the spread of the disease.
“My ministry wants Zimpost to adopt the e-post concept in totality and have it dominate its day to day delivery of products and services in Zimbabwe. The e-Post must be seen in e-commerce which must drive Zimpost to become the “Amazon” of Zimbabwe. We want to see Zimpost providing seamless access to e-Government services at post offices where the citizens will conveniently access services without necessarily having to travel to cities or towns,” said Dr Muswere.
“The lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic are that Zimpost, like other companies, must ensure that its services are accessible 24/7 in order to meet social distancing and ease of transacting virtual protocols.
The trajectory towards an upper middle income economy is underpinned by a national priority area of creating a digital economy, among others.
“Zimpost has to produce a strategic plan that will focus the company towards being a smart post office that provides services in line with the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 concept.”
Dr Muswere said the Post Office in Zimbabwe, like elsewhere in the world, was an important Government agent that helps in facilitating financial inclusion, poverty alleviation, trade, communication and delivery of Government agency services. He added that the implementation of postal projects should alleviate poverty, promote entrepreneurship and uplift people’s standards of living in the various communities across the country.
“The post office must be felt by citizens wherever it operates by contributing towards employment of youth, women and people living with disabilities.
“The courier arm of Zimpost should address the transport challenges being faced by Zimbabwean farmers in bringing their produce to the market and even delivery of inputs,” he said. Zimpost is the leading postal, communication and financial services provider in Zimbabwe.-herald.cl.zw
