Minister Gurung stresses technology-friendly postal services

Kathmandu: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has said the postal service needs to be prompt, credible and technology-friendly.

Inspecting the Head Office of Postal Service at Dillibazar, Kathmandu on Wednesday, Minister Gurung said the postal service is the most sensitive area, so it needs to cater service credibly. The employees should be friendly to the customers, the Minister reminded.

A national postal service policy would be brought this year to solve problems facing this sector, he said, directing the concerned bodies to ferry letters and documents regularly in trucks. Currently, the trucks transport letters and documents once a week.

‘Why don’t we provide this service every day,’ he wondered, vowing facilitation from the ministry. Similarly, the Minister reminded that payment in post offices could adopt eSewa and QR.

As Nepal has signed an agreement with the Universal Postal Union, we need to restructure the postal office accordingly. Secretary at Ministry, Radhika Aryal, said the general post office bears a historical significance. It was begun in the name of ‘Nepal Hulak Ghar’ in 1935 BS, she reminded. Every citizen should be ensured easy access to quality postal service, she underlined.

On the occasion, office chief Basu Dev Regmi briefed the Minister and his team on the services, problems and challenges facing the postal service. He complained that the office was facing a shortage of workforce and relevant policy.