Minister Sharma suggests restructuring and adopting a new business model for Posts
Communication and Information Technology Minister Rekha Sharma has stated that the postal service should be transformed into a new business model by utilizing existing resources through restructuring.
Speaking at the event organized by the Postal Service Department on World Postal Day, she emphasized the need to expand the scope of postal services and integrate them with daily service delivery to the public, in line with technological advancements.
She stressed the importance of modernizing, technologizing, and ensuring competitiveness and reliability in the postal service, enabling it to compete globally through smart postal services.
‘Due to the significant advancements in communication and information technology, traditional postal service has significantly decreased,’ Minister Sharma said. ‘To provide access to postal services, delivery points were established where information technology and transportation facilities were lacking. However, it is now necessary to restructure the postal service in line with the federal government system and connect it with information technology. The government aims to implement the concept of ‘one local level, one post office’ from this financial year.
While acknowledging the extensive network of the postal service across the country, Minister Sharma stated that traditional postal service alone cannot be effective. She emphasized the importance of modernizing the service delivery by enhancing workforce capacity and implementing necessary technological and organizational restructuring. Efforts are being made to improve technology and physical infrastructure, coordinated among stakeholders, to bring about comprehensive improvements in the postal service.
Minister Sharma pointed out that while other countries have integrated postal service with information technology and made it a mandatory part of government service, Nepal is still treating it as an optional service. She stressed the need to utilize the postal service for transportation of government materials, for which a policy decision has already been made by the government. The minister also highlighted the importance of making the distribution of essential citizen services, such as citizenship, passport, and national identity card, mandatory through the postal service. To achieve this, she emphasized the necessity of computerization, internet connectivity, tracking systems, and a digital platform, as well as initiating the process of updating details using email and integrating them into a centralized system.
Regarding the Postal Savings Bank, Minister Sharma informed that the government has terminated it and transferred the accounts and funds to 68 National Commercial Bank branches in district headquarters. She stated that employees involved in embezzlement will be prosecuted according to the law, but did not provide further details on the matter.
