President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has advised Sri Lanka Postal Department officials to analyze progressive improvement of the international postal service and implement necessary management programmes for the expansion of Sri Lanka Postal Service.
The President said on Tuesday during a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the future course of action of the State Ministry of Postal Services and Professional Development that the Sri Lanka Postal Service can become a principal contributor to the country’s economy when its operations are properly developed and managed.
"In view of the rapid expansion of postal business, the Sri Lanka Postal Department must urgently identify the pressing need for improvement and provide a yardstick for future progress," President Rajapaksa pointed out.
The Postal Department is currently running at a loss of about Rs 6 billion. It generates an income of Rs 8 billion annually. The department’s expenditure runs to about Rs 14 billion on account of having overtime payments, the salaries and other costs.
"With the introduction of enhanced technologies and services, the postal department can be transformed into a profit making institution," the President emphasized.
They discussed renovating the old post office buildings in an island-wide programme. The Ministry of Tourism is to assist this program I which the postal buildings will be renovated while preserving their antiquity.
It was decided to renovate the old Central Postal Building in Colombo Fort under the programme.
The Chief of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication, Basil Rajapaksa here commended the Postal Department for its work in delivering medicine from hospitals and pharmacies to homes during the COVID 19 pandemic period.
Basil Rajapaksa said the Postal Service could attract a large number of customers to its fold by further improving its Speed Post service.
Gem exporters tend to seek the services of private companies to distribute their gems by paying higher rates; Basil Rajapaksa said that by having a door-to - door delivery system, the Sri Lanka Post would have the potential to generate higher revenues.