THE coming of cell phones onto the Zambian market has in the last two decades made communication easier among the people. No doubt about that!
Previously those with no land phones in their homes had to make trips across town to visit friends and relatives and see how they were staying.
Not any more. One has simply to recharge his or her mobile phone and give his or her kin a ring, and the two will talk and know about each another’s welfare. The same thing applies to business partners who may conduct deals in the same way.
However remarkable this communication revolution has been, it has not diminished the need for many postal services. In fact, reports abound of many areas in the remotest parts of the country which the mobile service providers do not reach.
In such cases, these people predominantly depend on services provided by the Zambia Postal Services Corporation (ZAMPOST).
With its years of experience, ZAMPOST is still being utilised to deliver people’s mail and other parcels. Notable among these is the Express Mail Service (EMS) which specialises in domestic and international courier services.
Many people have had their business documents and other parcels delivered to their doorsteps in record time, thanks to this particular innovation by ZAMPOST.
The other area to note is the transport sector where the Post Bus has been competing favourably with private operators. Some travelers actually prefer to board the Post Bus to others as this is relatively cheaper while the bus crews are just as polite to their passengers.
Further as of now, many people depend exclusively on ZAMPOST to receive their money and from what they say, the company offers the most reliable service so far in this area. Pensioners too utilise ZAMPOST services to receive their payouts.
It is because of all these services that we welcome news of a post office in Vubwi District whose groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Minister Yamfwa Mukanga last week.
As the minister said, there are many areas in the country that need services which ZAMPOST can provide and we urge the company to consider opening more post offices to these areas so that residents there could have access to services which their counterparts in urban areas enjoy, for instance. Sunday Times of Zambia COMMENT
