ROUND TABLE ON NATIONAL POSTAL POLICY

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Communications & Information Technology

01-February-2012 16:52 IST

Kapil Sibal Inaugurates Round Table on National Postal Policy

Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of Communications and Information Technology inaugurated a Round Table on National Postal Policy here today. Speaking on the occasion Shri Sibal said that in view of IT revolution India Post has to embrace the changes and to be prepared for challenges of tomorrow.

Shri Sachin Pilot Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology said that Department of Posts has to revisit and reinvent itself in the light of rapidly changing scenario. Though Department of Posts is already engaged in plethora of activities, it may explore other revenue streams.

Earlier Ms. Manjula Prashar, Secretary Department of Posts introduced the theme. Draft agenda for the Roundtable included –

Ø Vision, Mission and Policy

Ø USO of the Postal Sector.

Ø Organization and Market Research, environmental concerns and social responsibilities in the Postal Sector.

Ø Expansion and Modernization of Postal Network in India.

Ø Issues relating to Standardization of mail and National Address System.

Ø Issues relating to development of institutional framework with right and responsibility of Government regulator, operator and customer.

Ø Contours of Competition Policy in the Postal Sector.

Ø Issues of strategies relating to capacity development in the Postal Sector.

Ø Synchronization of domestic postal policies with WTO and other international norms.

Ø Roadmap for the Postal Sector.

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The Round Table aimed at engaging in discussions with key stakeholders related to the Postal Sector. The conference was addressed by various stakeholders giving their inputs in order to frame a National Postal Policy which will address the interests and concerns of all. Indian postal sector requires a comprehensive policy document, representative of the interests of all the stakeholders and driving the postal sector to contribute to the social and economic development of the country.

In order to have a National Postal Policy which reflects the views of the broadest possible range of postal stakeholders, the participants at the Round Table included stakeholders from Government, Operators Representative Associations, Think Tank, Academia, Users of Postal & Communication Services, Banks, Regulators, Transporters and stakeholders in international business besides senior officers of Department of Posts.