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14 | NEWSFOCUS October 9, 2018 www.mygov.go.ke Leveraging on innovation and diversification to keep the Post relevant The Post: Delivering good to the world | 144TH Theme WORLD POST DAY October 9, 2018 Message from Mr Joe Mucheru, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology I am delighted to join the postal and courier fraternity as we mark this year’s World Post Day. We are proud to have a universal network that provides modern products and services with rules for international mail exchange among its members. This is a solid foundation for the operation of the Post worldwide. Today, we are witnessing the fusion of the mail sector with technology; a phenomenon that has boostDigital transformation has become a strategic priority for the Post to maintain its relevance. Postal and courier operators worldwide are implementing new technologies to adapt to customer demands for electronic services (e-services), including online track and trace, e-post, hybrid mail, services such as digital identities, mobile applications and website integration. The World Post Day theme this year, The Post: , Delivering good to world is certainly in tandem is equally applicable to our local postal sector, as it targets to build a seamless network that is connected both virtually and physically. The theme reminds us to strive for full integration, which calls for the involvement of all players in the postal supply chain, including customs and transport as well as the facilitation of cross-border e-commerce. The UPU is building a comprehensive framework for e-commerce, which enables everyone to share in the emerging opportunities. Kenya has been selected by the Union as one of the countries to roll out the regional e-commerce hubs in East Africa, leveraging on the extensive postal outlets in the region. This initiative, together with the ongoing National Addressing System (NAS), will greatly boost local and regional e-commerce and enable Kenya to tap into the opportunity whose global value is estimatMr. Joe Mucheru ,EGH ed to rise to USD2.36 Trillion by 2022. The National Addressing System provides for, among others, the naming, numbering and coding of streets and properties to The goal is to ensure that every person in the country has an address to be reached when necessary. We also envisage to have digitized maps for use in the management of settlements and urban communities. My Ministry, in collaboration with all stakeholders, is committed to deliver the in place, the NAS will ease the delivery of goods and services and reduce costs reliability. The success of the Post is highly dependent upon the ability to respond to fast-changing consumer needs and adaptation to new technologies. This will enable the development of suitable last-mile delivery networks, which are - ital inclusion. The responsibility lies on our local postal sector to diversify products and services as the main area for growth. This will also help diversify revenues. We can learn from postal entities in other parts of the world that have broken the traditional barriers and gone ahead to launch their own networks, including mobile virtual network services. They also have smartphone applications that connect services of the municipalities to local businesses and populations and many other innovations that are revolutionizing the manner in which the Post operates. As we also recognise and celebrate the winners of the 47th UPU International Letter Writing Competition, Kenya Chapter, I laud the Postal Corporation of Kenya for investing in creative writing as a way of exposing talent that has potential to make a - ners and encourage the participation of many more young people next year. I wish all Kenyans a Happy World Post Day. I t gives me great pleasure to join the local and global postal community in marking this year’s World Post Day. can continually position the postal and courier industry to better suit the dynamic consumer demands and realities of our times. Even though the sector continues to face constraints, occasioned by emerging technologies globally, there have been This is greatly pushing the industry to innovate as witnessed by the sustained rollout of new products and services that have opened up new business opportunities for the post, especially within the context of the diminishing traditional postal business. This year’s theme, The Post: Delivering good to the world, is in line withthe Istanbul World Postal Strategy for the 2017-2020 cycle. It is also aligned with the regional priorities identified during the UPU 2015 Regional Strategy Conferences, namely operational efficiency; postal financial services; and postal sector development and diversification. The local postal and courier sector must therefore put in place measures that will enable us attain the priorities that the Africa I wish to assure the industry that the Authority is alive to the realities of technological convergence in the wider ICT industry and therefore taking all measure to put in place enabling regulatory tools to facilitate all the players to innovate and thrive. As we gear up to fully embrace e-commerce, the need for continued investment in ICT infrastructure, Cyber Security and fostering of a competitive industry landscape cannot be overemphaKenya has been selected by UPU as one of the countries to roll out the regional e-commerce hubs in East Africa mobile money transfer services, to enable users pay for goods and services online. - - thority’s latest Sector Statistics, by March 2018, mobile money transfer transactions stood at 663.7 billion and were valued at Kenya shillings 1.8 trillion. In the same period, there were 474.5 billion mobile commerce transactions valued at Kenya shillings 1.29 trillion. Kenya’s e-commerce outlook therefore, remains promising. Mr. Francis W. Wangusi, MBS - vice consumers, the Authority has also developed security guidelines for postal and courier transmissions. The Authority has equally developed a white paper on e-Commerce to help create better understanding on this subject matter. Other supporting initiatives that are underway include the development of; a National Addressing System (NAS), an e-commerce implementation framework and the national e-commerce master plan - ers in the postal and courier ecosystem. A national steering committee comprising all the relevant stakeholders has been established to oversee this process. The committee is at an advanced stage of delivering on the NAS implementation framework and related policy and legislative documents. Besides catalyzing the growth and adoption of e-commerce by providing every Kenyan a physical address, a robust NAS infrastructure will be critical in enhancing security and rapid response in handling of emergencies. As we celebrate the World Post Day, let us seize the moment to contemplate how we can leverage on technology to boost the postal and courier business in Kenya. Message by Principal Secretary, State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Mrs Fatuma Hirsi Mohammed, CBS E reliable communication services to all, the Post is delivering good to the world. The more than 600,000 postal outlets globally are used by private citizens and businesses to send letters, parcels and remittances, and also to conworld’s remotest places. Communities everywhere rely on the Post’s unparalleled physical delivery network for its traditional services and to achieve their broad development goals. Driven by its universal service obligation, the Post promotes social inclusion by striving to ensure that all citizens have access to its communication services, including people living in remote places, on isolated islands, the Post is the only channel for vital education, health and security information. In the current digital age, the Post has positioned itself as a major player in global ecommerce. Its “one global network” approach makes the Post an obvious delivery partner for businesses selling online. Customers choose to do business with the Post based on its track record of being trustSmall and medium-sized businesses seeking to expand into international With a resilient supply chain that incorporates cross-border security and - Amb. Bishar A. Hussein, ence. Even for the big e-commerce integrators, the Post is the best partner for last-mile delivery services. This is because the Post not only has the largest physical network even within individual countries, but is also the only reliable service for delivery to remote and marginalized communities. The Post is a true partner for all. To mark World Post Day this year, we have chosen the theme ‘The Post: Delivering good to the world.” We encourage everyone to take a moment to appreciate our gallant postmen and postwomen, whose daily dedication is a testament to the mission of the Universal Postal Union: delivering universal postal services for all in order to facilitate communication between all citizens. The Post has delivered good to the world for centuries – through the trusted postmen and postwomen in each community. As we mark World Post Day today, let us celebrate trust, reliability and security as the hallmark of postal services worldwide. I wish you successful World Post Day celebrations. T he World Post Day, celebrated annually, accords the postal community an appropriate mechanisms of ensuring the growth of this strategic sub-sector of the fast-growing ICT industry. This year’s event takes place at a time when the local Post is grappling with unprecedented threats from increased competition from the private sector as well as from technological disruptions. The changing postal environment and the emergence of new commercial challenges call for sound strategy to weather the emerging storm. The Post must therefore embrace strategies that leverage on technology and innovation to remain aligned with changing consumer preferences and demands. It is gratifying to note that the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) is taking boost its revenue streams. The postal sector is now recognized as an enabler of inclusive development and an essential component of the national and global economy. Besides fainclusion. Closer home, the Post is playing a critical role in provision of e-government serpopulation, particularly those living in rural and remote areas, the Post remains the only reliable means of communication. For the Post to hold its own in the midst of shrinking letter mail business, it must move with speed to capitalize on the new frontier of e-commerce. Indeed, going forward e-commerce holds the key to a sustainable and thriving Post. The on-going National Addressing System initiative, once fully implemented, will ensure that the Post fully harnesses the opportunities presented by e-commerce. The Ministry of ICT shall continue to provide an enabling policy and legal framework to ensure the continued growth of the postal/courier sector. In addition, we shall join hands with stakeholders to leverage on global partnerships that World Post Day Mrs.Fatuma Hirsi Mohammed, CBS Ecom@Africa programme, spearheaded by the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which will create new business opportunities for the Post. Kenya has won global recognition and acclaim as one of the most thriving ICT innovation hubs. This unique position, coupled with the increased adoption of person-to-person mobile payments, will fundamentally transform Kenya’s e-commerce landscape. I call upon all stakeholders to work hand in hand to realize this goal. Happy World Post Day.

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