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THE MESSAGE FROM THE PAPU SECRETARY GENERAL
ON THE PAN AFRICAN POST DAY COMMEMORATIONS, 18th JANUARY 2024
THEME: ESTABLISHING AN EFFICIENT CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Dear Excellences, esteemed Postal Leaders, our valued Partners, fellow Africa Postal Family Members, I bring warm compliments of the New Season!!
As the New Year, 2024 unfolds, we are united in commemorating the Pan-African Post Day on 18th January 2024, fully embracing the rich heritage and the invaluable contributions of postal services to our continent’s history and development progress. This day holds a true Pan African profound significance, honouring the legacy of connectivity, innovation, customer satisfaction and socio-economic development that the postal services have fostered throughout Africa.
The Pan-African Post Day is commemorated annually to mark and celebrate the founding of PAPU, an African Union (AU) specialised agency for the development of the Postal Sector in Africa as was resolved by the Constitutive Plenipotentiary Conference of Member States of the then Organization of the African Union (OAU) on 18th January 1980 in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania. The observance of the Pan-African Post Day echoes the enduring spirit of collaboration and resilience embedded within the postal networks that have facilitated communication, commerce, and cultural exchanges across our diverse lands for generations. It is a celebration of the crucial role played by postal services in shaping our societies, empowering businesses, and bridging the geographical gaps that once hindered our connectivity.
The theme for the year 2024 Commemorations, “Establishing an Efficient Customer Management System,” resonates well with the ongoing Africa Posts’ commitment to prioritize digitalisation and customer-centric solutions within their postal services. This theme is also in tandem with the reigning World Post Day Theme “Together for trust: Collaborating for a safe and connected future” which places the customer in the focus for all the postal activities.
Recognizing the significance of an effective customer management system is pivotal in enhancing customer satisfaction, fostering trust, and fortifying the credibility of our postal operations with technological advancements, innovation, and promoting digital inclusivity. This is important for the transformation and modernization of postal services as it warrants that the Post remains efficient and relevant in an evolving world. It is evident that, at the heart of every efficient postal service lies a robust mechanism that addresses customer expectations with expediency, fairness, and transparency. Establishing an efficient customer management system is not merely an administrative endeavour but a testament to our zeal and dedication to providing seamless experiences to our customers and promptly redressing their concerns.
The modern postal environment offers a wide range of technology-based, digital services like e-commerce, e-Government services, digital financial services, and trackable deliveries These provide a new setting for addressing customer needs by the Postal Players. The adoption of an efficient customer interface and management system by Designated Operators aligns with the Pan African Postal Union’s collective vision of modernizing and adjusting to the evolving needs of our customers during this increasingly digitalizing age. The Designated Operators can now expedite the resolution of customer queries, enhance service transparency, and empower customers with greater control over their postal experiences by harnessing innovative solutions and digital tools.
Whilst reflecting on this occasion, the General Secretariat urges all Postal Regulators in Africa to re-affirm their commitment to leveraging postal services as a catalyst for sustainable, economic growth and development as well as achieving social cohesion across the African continent. The Regulatory Authorities ought to safeguard the postal networks so that the sector continues to serve as a cornerstone for inclusivity, leaving no community and place behind in its collective journey towards postal progress and prosperity.
The ‘Customer is King’ adage should inspire our Postal Actors and drive the initiative of nurturing customer relationships, driving operational excellence and instilling confidence in our services. The Post serves as a cornerstone for developing and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement within our postal networks. In the past year the Pan-African Postal Union, in liaison with its partners, held several events which were directed at ensuring that postal services remain customer friendly including the inaugural African Postal Philatelic Conference in Cape Town, South Africa; the African Postal Regulators’ Conference, in Dakar, Senegal; and the E-Commerce ORE and Financial Remittances Workshops held in Abuja Nigeria.
As we commemorate the Pan African Post Day, let us re-dedicate ourselves to fostering partnerships, embracing innovation, and investing in the modernization of postal services in order to prioritize the establishment of efficient customer relationship management systems. Let us collaborate, share best practices, and invest in training and technology to ensure that our customers receive responsive and reliable services they rightfully deserve. By so doing, we can harness the full potential of this integral sector, creating a more connected, prosperous and inclusive Africa for generations to come in fulfilment of the Africa Union Vision 2063 that aims at ‘Creating the Africa we want”.
Furthermore, this Pan-African Post Day commemoration serves as an excellent occasion to express our gratitude to the dedicated postal workers across Africa who tirelessly serve our communities and citizens. Their unwavering commitment and dedication, especially during challenging times, exemplifies the ethos of service commitment to our citizens, and embodies the resilience of the African spirit that the whole world is accustomed to.
On this auspicious occasion of Pan-African Post Day, let us celebrate the postal legacies created, embrace the available market opportunities, and recommit ourselves to strengthening postal connectivity for a sustainable and interconnected future across our beloved continent.
Thank you for your dedication and commitment to the progress of postal services across Africa.
Together let us Make the Post Great Again and keep our Customers happy!
Long live Africa!
Long live Africa’s Postal fraternity!
Dr. SIFUNDO CHIEF MOYO
SECRETARY GENERAL