State-run operation delivers the goods and posts a profit

L.B. MINDE Minister of Finance and Public Credit: has delivered

The Tanzania Posts Corporation (TPC) is a leading example of a business that is determined to meet the challenges posed by the rapid changes taking place in the Tanzanian economy.
As one of the few examples of a profit-making state-run company, the TPC is readying itself for future privatization with enthusiasm, as Acting Postmaster General L.B. Minde explains. “After separating from the tele-
communications institution in 1994 we went through a period of reorganization and restructuring which helped turn the company into a profit-making operation. We have changed from being a government department into an effective public corporation.”

The TPC employs some 1,200 people who provide the full range of modern postal services including overnight mail, an express courier service (EMS), and facilities for financial operations such as international money transfers. With the liberalization of the postal sector and the introduction of new technology the TPC has had to rethink its traditional way of doing business. It is investing substantial sums in purchasing new equipment, updating its
delivery vehicles and in training its highly motivated staff. “We are constantly concerned with improving the quality of the service we provide,” explains Mr. Minde. “We monitor delivery times for letters, parcels and money transfers. We check on the reliability of our service and look closely at customer satisfaction.”
The TPC is also in the process of establishing a range of new services such as Internet cafés and the
provision of e-business facilities at post office counters in order to keep pace with the rapidly-changing needs of consumers.

Future plans envisage an expansion of the company’s financial services, the provision of a wider range of services designed to meet the needs of the business community and the establishment of new strategic partnerships with other international communications businesses.
At the same time, the TPC is anxious not to lose sight of the important social role it plays in providing a country-wide service that meets the needs of even the most remote settlements.