BUJUMBURA, October 10th (ABP) – On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, the Ministry of Communication, Information Technology and Media issued a statement to mark World Post Day, celebrated every year on October 9.
As a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), Burundi has joined the rest of the world in celebrating this event. The 2024 edition, which coincided with the 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union, was celebrated under the theme: “One hundred and fifty years of commitment to communication and the development of people throughout the world”.
According to Thierry Kitamoya, assistant to the Minister of Communication, Information Technologies and Media, the Universal Postal Union is inviting member countries, postal operators and other postal enthusiasts to take part in social media awareness-raising efforts by sharing their content.
The latter, he said, will contribute by spreading knowledge about the postal sector’s rich history, its closeness to people, its creativity, its enduring persistence and its commitment to sustainable development and socio-economic growth.
In Burundi, the postal administration was created by the law of October 10, 1962. Since then, it has operated as a ministerial department under the Ministry of the Civil Service.
To serve its customers well, Mr. Kitamoya pointed out that the National Post Office has achieved a great deal. These include the expansion of its postal network from 30 post offices in 2007 to 146 by 2024, the digitization of postal services including the operation, routing and distribution of parcels and letter-post items, and the information and interconnection of all National Post Office counters and agencies.
He also mentioned the modernization of means of payment, the contribution to the financial inclusion of the population, and the provision and acquisition of a luggage scanner.
With regard to challenges, the Minister’s assistant pointed to the lack of energy, the decline in letter-post volumes following electronic substitution, the speed of distribution of items which still needs to be improved, intense competition and the challenges linked to rising costs.
In its vision of Burundi as an emerging country in 2040 and a developed country in 2060, Burundi advocates that the post office should have sufficient access to the Internet to facilitate communication. It will ensure that all its offices have access to affordable, state-of-the-art tools and technologies.
To achieve this, the National Post Office is committed to introducing an addressing and zip code system to make home delivery a reality, digitizing the post box network, and redefining Burundi philately to make the Burundi philatelic postage stamp highly competitive.
Finally, the National Post Office is committed to a partnership with the banking and financial sector through the BI-SWITCH company, with a view to participating in banking interoperability, indicated Mr. Kitamoya.