Global postal administrators to meet in Kampala

Keeping the industry alive

Delegates are expected to discuss ways of keeping the industry alive and relevant in the face of information and technology advancements like; the mobile phone and internet, according to Patrick Mwesigwa, the acting executive director of the Uganda Communication Commission, the domestic regulator of the communications industry.

"The event is also timely and pertinent given the importance of the Post Office in bridging the digital divide in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa between those who have access to the internet and the related technologies and those who do not," Mwesigwa said on Thursday, 9 September 2010.

Establishing regular meetings

The CCPA aims to create a regular gathering of Commonwealth Post Offices so as to provide a forum for discussing issues of mutual interest bearing in mind that in terms of mail exchanges, Commonwealth countries are major trading partners. The organisation comprises up to 66 postal members drawn from 53 countries of the Commonwealth.

Globally, revenues of the postal industry continue to decline as globalisation, competition and technological advancements change communication tastes and preferences of people and businesses.

ICTs effects on the industry

"With the surge in new information and communication technology, the future of the post remains uncertain. While the post continues to process the bulk of ordinary mail and parcels, the volumes continue to decline as a result of electronic substitution, among other factors," Mwesigwa said.

Despite the decline in global post mail, the post in Uganda has made remarkable progress in the last decade. Currently, the Uganda postal sub-sctor comprises of one major international operator (UPL) and over 25 licensed courier operators including; Fedex, DHL, Skynet, East African Couriers, Nation Courier and UPS among others.

In a recent interview, Tonny Mugisha, the head of sales and marketing at East African Courier attributed the growth in B2B and B2C transactions within the economy. The UCC says, in 2009, the sector contributed 3.4% of Uganda's GDP, estimated at US$15.6 billion (UGX35 trillion).