As the ministerial conference of the Universal Postal Union commenced on Monday 3rd October 2016 in the Turkish city of Istanbul, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Cornelius Deveaux, in concert with the Consultant Managing Director of SALPOST, Samuel Koroma and Chairman of the SALPOST board, the erudite lawyer Brima Koroma, has bagged an agreement with Turkish Post and Telecommunications (PTT) that will facilitate the transformation and development of Sierra Leone Postal Service Limited(SALPOST) to a modern postal service.
Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, who led Sierra Leone’s three-man delegation to the 26th Universal Postal Union congress in Istanbul, says the delegation has been holding meetings with the delegations of China, Switzerland and a host of other developed countries to solicit both technical and material support to bolster the transformation, development and growth of SALPOST.
At a meeting held with the host country’s postal service past Thursday 29th September 2016 at the Turkish Post and Telecommunications headquarter in central Istanbul, Deputy Minister Cornelius Deveaux appealed for bi-lateral fraternity and collaboration to support government’s efforts to revive SALPOST.
He maintained that following the ruling All Peoples Congress’s election to governance in 2007, President Ernest Bai Koroma APC led government has been very passionate about the resuscitation of SALPOST, which demise was accelerated during the tenure in governance of the now opposition SLPP in tandem with mal-administration, occasioning a sharp decline in postal services.
Deputy Minister figuratively handed over SALPOST to Turkish Post and Telecommunications, asking the latter to care for SALPOST as a parent would for their child, while conveying warm felicitations from His Excellency President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to the government and people of Turkey.
Welcoming the Deputy Minister and entourage, Chief Executive Officer of Turkish Post and Telecommunications, Kenan Bozgeyik, appreciated the long standing relations between the governments and peoples of Sierra Leone and Turkey.
He said Turkish Post and Telecommunications will do everything possible to care for SALPOST as its baby and assured both technical and material support to facilitate the transformation, growth and development of SALPOST as a modern postal entity.
He urged for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Turkish Minister of Post and Telecommunications and the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications to expedite bi-lateral fraternity and cooperation between the two posts, noting that a high level delegation from Turkey will shortly visit Sierra Leone.
SALPOST’s Consultant Managing Director, Samuel Koroma, told this medium that the proposed MoU will deal with emerging issues such as e-commerce, postal payment services, postal infrastructure and mutually agreed projects.
He explained that the two parties shall undertake to strengthen and advance cooperation in all areas of common interest, especially in areas of staff training and exchange of useful information to meet contemporary challenges in the postal world.
Board Chairman, the erudite lawyer Brima Koroma also told this medium that posts all over the world are under the aegis of the government and that they are not privatized.
He disclosed that the UPU seriously frowns that SALPOST has been slated for privatization by the National Commission for Privatization and called for an immediate reverse of this decision if SALPOST is to attract support and cooperation from other postal services.
Deputy Minister of Information and Communications and entourage also held discussions with the Director General of UPU and discussed issues relating to the amortization and possible write-off of Sierra Leones debt to the UPU.
Government ministers and other senior decision-makers are gathered for a high-level meeting during the 26th Universal Postal Congress in Istanbul, Turkey.
In an event that promises to be a highlight during Congress, leaders will discuss how Posts can better serve their nations and citizens, help grow the economy and drive development. Other government representatives and postal leaders from the UPU’s 192 member countries, United Nations organizations and international and regional bodies are also present to discuss the role of the Post in today’s changing world.
Thursday October 06, 2016