Fair, efficient payment systems critical to postal services’ future

Ensuring postal services have fair and efficient payment systems is crucial for keeping the global postal network running smoothly and ensuring fair partnerships between countries.

Postmaster General of the Barbados Postal Service (BPS), Joann Busby shared this view at the start of a two-day Regional Remuneration workshop held at the General Post Office in Cheapside, St Michael on Wednesday.

“The topic of remuneration is particularly timely and relevant. The global postal landscape, as we all know, is undergoing profound transformation. The rapid growth of e-commerce, advancements in digital communication and shifting customer expectations have created opportunities and challenges in equal measure,” Busby stated.

She told participants that the Barbados Postal Service was proud of its legacy of more than 170 years of service to the people of Barbados, and of its achievements.

“We have evolved with the times, adapting to technological advancements and the changing needs of our customers. However, as with all postal administrations, we recognise the importance of staying ahead in a dynamic global environment. The remuneration framework, which underpins international mail exchanges, is a cornerstone of this effort, enabling us to maintain quality service delivery and strengthen our partnerships,” she shared.

Busby explained that as part of the workshop, participants will engage in critical discussions, share insights and explore solutions to address remuneration challenges. She added that these deliberations were not just technical exercises but represented a collective investment in the future of the global postal system.

“They are about ensuring that every member country, regardless of size or economic standing, can contribute to and benefit from a fair and sustainable postal network. I encourage all participants to approach this roundtable with open minds, a spirit of collaboration and a shared determination to make meaningful progress,” she told the attendees.

The postmaster general stated that the presence of the regional participants underscored the significance of this event and the region’s collective commitment to shaping the future of global postal services.

She encouraged the audience to listen to each other, learn from their diverse experiences and work towards actionable outcomes.

Director of Postal Policy, Planning and Regulation with the Universal Postal Union, Altamir Linhares, hailed the workshop as “an important milestone in the process of bringing countries together and achieving a compromise on proposals that have been shaped through a work cycle of almost four years now”.

“These proposals have been devised based on the results of several studies presented, discussed and negotiated at each and every meeting of the Remuneration Integration Group, as well as at the meetings of the committees too of both the POC [Postal Operations Council] and the CA [Council of Administration],” he said.

(BGIS)