Sascha Wilson
Given the decline in the need for traditional postal services, Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales says the local postal sector has to continue to reorient and retool to meet the demands of a modern society.
He was speaking during the reopening of the refurbished TTPost Delivery Office at Caratal Road, Gasparillo.
Last September, the office was closed for refurbishment works which cost over $1 million.
During his address, the minister noted that even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector was already facing tremendous challenges.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said this has resulted in an even further decline in the need for traditional postal services.
According to the Universal Postal Union’s report of 2021, he said the pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the world economy, global trade and cross–border supply chains, resulting in a level of contraction not seen since the Second World War. The postal sector was not spared by this major crisis, he said.
While commending TTPost on the new initiatives it has already embarked on, he said, “In Trinidad and Tobago, when we talk about restructuring and we talk about transformation the first thing people say, you going to lose your job. But can you just imagine, had we not made these changes in 1999 where we would have been? Is the structure of TTPost in 1999 relevant to a structure in 2022? Certainly not.”
Urging them to continue to pursue innovative and create ways to develop new product offerings, Gonzales said the postal sector has to always reorient itself and retool to keep up with the demands of a modern society.
The minister also announced that over the next year or two, he intends to refurbish legacy general post office buildings around the country, such as Sangre Grande, Curepe and San Juan, that have all fallen in a state of disrepair.
He also encouraged management to meet with the Postal Workers’ Union and address outstanding issues.
“I know the postees and their unions will have their concerns. I wish to encourage the board, I wish to encourage the management at TTPost, to meet with the union representing postal workers to hear their concerns and work towards resolving all outstanding industrial relations issues,” he said.
Refurbishment works on the Gasparillo office was fully funded through the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP). The office will be opened to the public from today.
