Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 21 December 2016 – A two-day awareness raising workshop on the African postal sector discussed and agreed on a framework that would re-enforce and speed up the transformation of the Continent’s postal services while ensuring the sector plays its rightful role in the realisation of Agenda 2063 and the First Ten Year Plan.

The workshop organised by the Department of Infrastructure and Energy and attended by key African postal stakeholders, assessed current standings of postal services in the continent, and looked at international best practices with a view to strengthen the capacity of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on postal matters and take full advantage of the socio-economic prospects in the sector.

The workshop identified that despite the existence of 26,000 postal offices and a wide interconnecting infrastructure, key shortcomings are hindering service delivery and diversity in the postal sector. As key recommendations, the meeting insisted on the need to expand existing infrastructure to ensure physical connectivity in terms of power supply, water and access ways; The need for an ICT strategy and the provision of tools and technologies that would greatly reduce mail processing costs while increasing business delivery and business opportunity through the implementation of digital platforms such as that of a common electronic markets, integrated financial systems and one stop postal services; The need to enhance capacity building and skills development as well as the need for creativity in sourcing financing opportunities.

In line with a number of AU Decisions that relate to improving the postal sector and the 2016-2020 world postal strategy, the meeting encouraged Member States to give higher priority to postal sector development in their national development Agendas. The AUC, custodian of the Decisions, will support Member States in implementing those decisions by identifying challenges and providing advice and way forward.

The postal sector is seen as an enabler and an intricate part of the Continental developmental vision, Agenda 2063, in that it promotes infrastructure development, energises socio-economic standings through job creation and capacity building and further enables integration through efficient physical and digital networking and the subsequent flourishment of Intra-African Trade.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU), the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

/MFM

For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication /African Union Commission/ E- mail: DIC@africa-union.org /Web site: www.au.int / Addis Ababa / Ethiopia
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