ISLAMABAD: Postal reforms-agenda looks good only on paper as no real progress has been seen on the ground despite the passage of one year, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.
Postal reform-agenda which includes, re-branding of post offices, mobile money solution, Pakistan Post logistic companies initiatives through private-public partnership was launched in 2016 however, Pakistan Post failed in acting upon the announced reforms and the situation is still in dire straits.
Pakistan Post (PP) and National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) signed an agreement for the renewal of Computerised National Identity Card (CNICs) which is an important part of the postal reforms but nothing developed in this regard thus far.
Talking to Pakistan Today an official of NADRA said that ‘the training session is almost to complete as training of Pakistan Post staff was necessary for the renewal of CNIC’s to facilitate public due to a difference of their job nature.
NADRA will launch its desks in almost 500 branches of Pakistan Post in different areas of the country in this regard to make effective this agreement, the official added.
Efforts were made to better by formulating a comprehensive plan for Pakistan Post to improve delivery of services, embrace digital financial technologies and fast financial services.
According to an official, who wished to remain unnamed, the situation of the department is so dire that frequent request of shutting down branches in the various cities of the country are received at headquarter.
The PP has been facing losses for the past seven years and sum has now reached Rs 7,488.925 million (2015-2016), setting immense pressure on the economy.
The post office has a total of 6700 postmen to facilitate the public however only 15oo postmen have bikes to deliver the post and the rest still use a decades-old system of cycles or delivering the post by walking the distance.
Similarly, the department has 424 vehicles since 1990 and most of them remain out of order.
While talking to Pakistan Today, Pakistan Post Deputy Director General Abdul Razzaq said that things are underway as agenda-reforms cannot be implemented without the approval of Public-Private Authority (PPA) and efforts have been directed in this regard.
In response to another question, Abdul Razzaq said that at the end of this month the concrete work will start on agenda reforms approved by the government.
