First phase of post office networking project launched

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

The first phase of the post office networking project was launched on Wednesday at the Piliyandala Post Office and Communication Locale by the Postal Services Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga.

Under this post office networking project 12 post offices were linked to a network and another 200 post offices will be linked to the network during the period of next three month. At the final stage all main post offices and all sub post offices are scheduled to be networked by the Postal Services Ministry at a cost of Rs 600 million.

Under the first phase of the project, 647 main post offices will be linked to the post offices network at a cost of Rs 60 million. After completing the first phase of networking main post offices, it has been scheduled to link 3,410 sub post offices to the network. The ministry will allocate Rs. 540 million for the second phase. In addition, new hitech equipment will also be installed in post offices while introducing latest technology so as to provide a better service.

Accordingly, seven services will be provided to customers by networked post offices as registered mail and parcel tracking service, utility bill payment service, demand payment service (money sending), address verification service, email service, mail forwarding service and mail holding service. The Postal Services Ministry will carry out this programme together with Computer Science and Engineering Department of Maratuwa University.

Around 1,200 computers will have to be used to form the network. Postal service has to be subjected to a radical change so as to meet the present day requirements of customers. Hence, a network is vital for Postal Department to offer a people friendly service to the society and to meet their aspirations. Moreover, customer services are largely depend on the information technology. Postal service are not exception since it also cope up with the novel technology, Minister Kumaratunaga said.