BotswanaPost takes pride in hosting this year's Universal Postal Union (UPU) Regional Project on Operational Efficiency and E-Commerce Development workshop for African countries. Scheduled from 6th to 10th May 2024 in Gaborone, Botswana, the workshop gathers representatives from 45 African nations to deliberate on pivotal topics such as advancing postal services in the digital era and implementing tracked delivery systems.
During the inaugural session, Mr. Cornelius Ramatlhakwane, CEO of BotswanaPost, underscored Botswana's dedication to e-commerce as a component of its Digital Transformation Strategy. This strategy aims to stimulate economic growth and realize the Sustainable Development Goals Vision 2030.
The workshop convenes postal representatives with operational backgrounds from 45 African countries. The agenda encompasses a review of progress on the formulation and execution of Operational Readiness for E-Commerce Development (ORE). Key topics include the enhancement of physical postal services, advisory on delivery service augmentation, implementation of tracked delivery systems, and postal security and certification.
Operational Efficiency has emerged as a paramount agenda for the Universal Postal Union (UPU) due to the surge in e-commerce transactions and cross-border parcels. Consequently, the specialized United Nations agency overseeing postal operators has initiated regional cooperation projects to enhance service quality through an integrated postal supply chain approach. These projects aim to aid Designated Postal Operators (DPOs), including BotswanaPost, in meeting operational readiness targets for e-commerce, focusing on operational requirements, visibility, data quality, supply chain integration, and end-to-end reliability.
In her remarks at the opening session, the Executive Secretary of the Communications Regulator's Association of Southern Africa (CRASA), Ms. Bridget Linzie, emphasized the role of innovative regulation in fostering an enabling environment for digital transformation. She highlighted CRASA's aspiration for the postal industry to catalyze regional growth, stressing the need for postal regulatory frameworks to tangibly contribute to the regional agenda and vision.
Mr. Chokri Ellili, representing the Universal Postal Union International Bureau (DOP.IB), highlighted the significance of the ORE 3 project. He emphasized its role as a continuation of the efforts initiated during the previous projects, ORE 1 and ORE 2. Commencing in 2017, the ORE 3 project is driven by a central objective: to enhance the delivery performance of postal networks. This enhancement is to be achieved through the modernization of operational processes and the adoption of standardized IT tools and systems. These measures are designed to align with regulatory, operational, and technical requirements, ensuring efficiency and reliability across postal operations.
Mr. Ellili expressed optimism regarding the ORE 3 project, anticipating that it will yield tangible improvements in postal service delivery. He reiterated the commitment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to facilitating productive discussions and collaborative efforts during the workshop. Together, participants aim to achieve operational excellence, foster e-commerce development, and promote the growth of postal services not only in Africa but also on a global scale.
Once again, Mr. Ellili extended gratitude to the Government of Botswana, through BotswanaPost, for their support in hosting the workshop in the country. He acknowledged that this shows Botswana’s invaluable contribution to advancing postal services in the region and expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended thus far.
