Capacity Building Must Be At Core Of Region’s Postal Strategy

Postal operators across the Caribbean must be equipped with strong cost accounting systems, data-driven decision-making tools, modern operational processes, skilled human resources, and strategic partnerships within and beyond the region.

Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Gregory Nicholls, made this assertion yesterday, at a collaborative workshop hosted by the Universal Postal Union and the Caribbean Postal Union on Remuneration for the Caribbean Region, held at the General Post Office in Cheapside.

Minister Nicholls stressed that the Caribbean, although comprising ‘small’ states, possesses immense potential when it collaborates by harmonising standards, sharing expertise and leveraging regional cooperation mechanisms.

“We can strengthen our bargaining power and improve service quality across our networks. A resilient postal sector contributes directly to national economic development, support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, expansion of cross border trade, financial inclusion and social connectivity in many of our communities.

“The post office is not merely a service provider, it is a national institution and a symbol of state presence and trust,” he added.

The Home Affairs Minister told the participants and officials that the workshop’s focus on terminal dues and the strengthening of operational capacity among postal operations within the Caribbean region lies at the heart of transformation across the postal sector.

Describing terminal dues as “a system that has profound financial and operational implications for small island developing states and developing economies in the Caribbean”, Mr. Nicholls said: “For our region, terminal dues are not merely an accounting mechanism, they are a matter of sustainability and fairness.

“The Caribbean Postal Union’s administration often faces high transportation and logistic costs, limited economies of scale, infrastructural constraints and increasing inbound parcel volumes driven by cross border e-commerce.  If not properly understood, negotiated and managed, terminal dues systems can place disproportionate strain on postal operators.”

Minister Nicholls maintained that our postal operations must become more agile, efficient and financially sustainable to meet the demands of the global postal landscape, which is evolving at an unprecedented pace. 

He reaffirmed Government’s commitment to support modernising initiatives within the postal administration, encouraging financial sustainability through remuneration practices, investing in training and professional development and advocating for equitable treatment of small states within the international postal policy frameworks. 

“Strengthening our postal operations is not optional. It is essential for national competitiveness and regional resistance…. This workshop should therefore not be viewed as a standalone event, but as a part of a broader regional strategy,” Mr. Nicholls said. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Gregory Nicholls (front row, fifth from right); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Information, Wendy Oldle (front row, fourth from right); Postmaster General, Joann Busby (front row, fifth from left); postal officials; and workshop participants, pose for a photograph at the General Post Office in Cheapside