The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, says the members of the newly reconstituted board of the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission (PCSRC) must bring their experience and expertise to bear to help turn the PCSRC around.
“Your invaluable perspectives will be very much needed as we surmount the problems and tap the potential of postal regulations and activities in Ghana,” she said during the inauguration of the Board of Commissioners of PCSRC.
She said the Commission’s key function was to promote and encourage the expansion of postal and courier services for the social and economic development of the country, and offering efficient delivery of postal services to the satisfaction of consumers.
The minister said the enactment of the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Act 649 in 2003 which had liberalised the sector and provided opportunities to the private sector to expand their businesses through technological advancements.
“Today you are set to tackle some of the thornier issues that the Commission and industry are facing and would be facing in the coming years, from the evolution of technological advancement and E-commerce to the influx of illegal operators,” the minister, stressed.
Traditionally, she said postal services had been services supplied by state-owned entities that had a monopoly on basic mail services, while courier services, usually parcel delivery or expedited mail services, were often supplied by privately owned companies.
The minister said during the last two decades the postal sector had seen dramatic changes around the world and the distinction between postal and courier services is now blurred.
“There is no doubt that the postal network is a critical infrastructure for connecting citizens and businesses with the services they need. This is more evident now than ever as a result of the pre and post COVID-19 pandemic and its ramifications including the lockdowns,” Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, said.
She said the COVID-19 lockdowns had highlighted the importance of delivery networks as enablers of e-commerce during an emergency.
“The ability to buy goods online and get them delivered in a safe way has meant that people can stay indoors and reduce the spread of the virus, while keeping the economy going. This situation has also contributed to bringing onboard an additional 73 new operators in 2020 as against 33 in 2019,” the minister, said.
She said delivery operators in Ghana were innovating and adapting extremely quickly to the new reality, developing new modes of delivery, such as applications, short codes and rolling out new services, such as grocery delivery.
“It is therefore imperative that the Commission invests in the requisite technological infrastructure to be able to manage the emerging models of delivery networks and enablers in the country,” Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, stressed.
She entreated the Board of Commissioners to look at the various operational and policy reforms that the Commission required to strengthen its operations such as digitisation of the Commissions operations, review of its strategic plan and Act 649, the scheme of service and conditions of service for staff, among others.
The minister pledged to work with the Commissioners to ensure that the regulatory approach to the postal market was sound and continued to meet the needs of Ghanaians and also said a lot of the Board of Commissioners had been retained to ensure institutional memory.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
