Post office goes automated
In an effort to provide a better quality service at a reasonable price, the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) has begun using automated equipment at 30 windows in the country. Precision scales, automatic stamp machines, money order printers and revenue meters are some of the services which the state-of-the-art equipment provide. A machine which folds, envelopes, seals and if necessary stamps bulk mail is also part of the service being offered by the post office. The new-look counters at the GPOC's main office were described by Post Master General, Edward Noble as the first step in a total automation of the sector in the wake of the increased demand for its services. He also stated that the system was currently engaging the attention of the Suriname postal service, whose Director General, Dr Carlo Godlieb, and Operations Manager, Romeo Desney, are here for a first-hand look at the operation of the system and to establish bilateral relations with its sister body. The system, according to Pitney Bowes Manager for Marketing Systems Latin American area, Peter Ming is designed for accuracy and efficiency and is the latest technology being introduced by his company to the postal sector. Ming said that his company had supplied similar equipment to the postal industries of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand and had been working with the local sector for the last three years to secure a model that suited its needs. It was also stated that over the next three months, the computerised network is expected to be expanded to all postal districts in the country. Guyana is the fourth country in the world to implement the automated postal system. Noble told Stabroek News, after the formal demonstration of the system, that the corporation had realised the need to enhance its customer service and had made a conscious decision to implement the system. All data, according to the GPOC head, would be fed into a computer mainframe which would enable centralised access to material when needed. Noble pointed out that with the increasing cost of producing stamps, which he stated was $6 per copy, the equipment would go a long way in ensuring that production costs were reduced. The new automated equipment will be serviced by William Benjamin of Benjamin Business Machines who is expected to undergo a period of training to complete this task. The system is being set up with the help of a technician from Pereira and Company of Trinidad and Tobago, Byron Chung. (Oscar P. Clarke)
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