Postal service goes hi-tech

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Sri Lanka Post will instal Online Automation Counters and enhance the use of IT within their islandwide network to drive business growth and accelerate profitability.

In addition to the 643 main Post Offices which are already linked on line, plans are afoot to absorb the remaining 3,500 sub Post Offices to the net work before year end, Deputy Post Master General (operations) R.D.P. Gamini said.

The proposed improvement to areas of service are to include electronic money transactions and money orders, payment of utility bills, providing IT services etc.

Measures to speed up the delivery of mail and enhance the variety of services offered to customers is also on the cards.

The total cost of the project is around Rs 300 million. The amount is to be provided at the rate of Rs 100 million per year for three years from the consolidated fund from 2008-2010, in accordance with a Cabinet decision.

Under this project, priority areas of the Department of Post are to be identified and Custom Built Software is to be obtained by developing the modules for the identified items of work. The services of the University of Moratuwa is to be obtained for this,