Pakistan Post goes digital, launching mega project

by Fatima Javed

ISLAMABAD, June 8 (Gwadar Pro) - Pakistan Post will go digital today by launching a pilot project of digital franchise post offices. Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed announced the creation of 125,000 digital franchise post offices in 3 years through a public-private partnership.

These franchises will help create employment for young people from all areas of the country and eventually will boost businesses, he said. The postal network will be extended to every city and village in the country thus giving direct employment to around 250,000 people.

Digital franchise Post offices will provide the best facilities through the latest technology. All postal services will be available at home and abroad. The digital franchise post offices include more than two hundred financial services.  The services, according to the spokesperson of Pakistan Postal Services, include Payment of bills, remittances at home and abroad, fees of educational institutions and much more.

Pakistan Post was already providing postal services in every nook and corner of the country through a network of around 13,000 post offices. It is providing delivery services to about 20 million households and businesses as community service without any cost considerations.

The company has around 13,000 post offices throughout Pakistan, compared to its largest private sector competitor – TCS – that operates with only 900 retail outlets across the country. Moreover almost 67% of Pakistan Post’s offices are located in rural areas where most of its private competitors remain absent.

Recently things have begun to improve for Pakistan Post following a successful rebranding campaign and the launch of new services that aim to shorten delivery times and increase international and domestic coverage.

In April, the federal minister announced the financial turnaround by claiming that the national courier service had earned Rs12 billion till March 2019 which was much more than what it had earned in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

During the previous year lots of developments took place in country’s national postal service. Pakistan Post introduced a smartphone app, through which customers can track their articles, check tariffs and do a number of other things. Same-day delivery in 27 cities and pick up from home service in 11 cities across Pakistan was also introduced.

In addition, more than 550 companies registered on the web portal for Pakistan Post’s e-commerce initiative called Pak Post Shop. Launching of EMS plus was also done, which is an international parcel service through which we can deliver internationally in 72 hours with a tracking facility.

Earlier the minister for communications and postal services praised the postal employees on successful delivery of pensions to elderly retired employees at doorsteps amid risk of COVID-19.

In a statement issued by Pakistan Post, the minister highly praised postal employees and termed it was a great service to deliver pensions at doorsteps. He said that the real power of Pakistan Post was hardworking employees, adding that they would overcome on losses with their struggle.

Pakistan Post is a state enterprise which functions as Pakistan's primary and largest postal operator. 44,000 employees through a vehicle fleet of 5000 operate traditional "to the door" service from more than 13,000 post offices across the country, servicing over 50 million people.