The Postal Corporation of Kenya has launched a cross-border business partnership with the Tanzania Postal Corporation to facilitate ease of doing business and enhance service delivery between the two countries.
The partnership will offer a platform that will ensure fast and efficient delivery of Postal and Courier services, with the ability to track and trace from origin to destination between the two countries, and providing a friendly and seamless service through the vast Postal Network between the two East African countries.
Speaking at the the launch of the partnership, Peter Kanaiya, the corporation’s board chairman said that the corporation was currently benchmarking with Tanzania Postal Administration in regard to their newly launched virtual Post Office, branded, Posta Kiganjani, with the objective of implementing the same in Kenya.
Following the launch of the partnership, the time taken for a postal item to move between Kenya and Tanzania will be drastically reduced. It will now take a postal item leaving Dodoma, Tanzania to Nakuru, Kenya, an average of 3 days. Previously, this would take up to 7 days, or more depending on the distance.
Other benefits of the partnership include enhanced cooperation in e-commerce opportunities, and identification of emerging opportunities and markets for the two corporations to grow business opportunities and generate revenue
The state corporations have also agreed to improve the postal and courier services between the two countries and bring on-board private sector players in the land and aviation sector to improve time taken and processes involved on clearing import and export items.
The launch of the partnership at the Namanga Border post between Kenya and Tanzania was witnessed by among others Nape Moses Nnauye, Tanzania’s Minister for Information, Communication & Technology, Hassan Mwangombe, Tanzania’s Postal Corporation. Dan Kagwe, Kenya’s Postal Corporation of Kenya Postmaster General, and Peter Kanaiya, the corporation’s board chairman.
Ms Esther Koimett, the Principal Secretary, State department of Broadcasting and Telecommunication said that from 2019, Kenya and Tanzania Postal Corporations have worked to resolve huddles to cross-border movement of postal and courier items.
In a speech read on her behalf by Mr Paul Macharia, the Chief Economist in the ministry, Ms Koimett said two Corporations have brought on-board private sector players in the land and air sectors to improve the time taken to clear import and export items. This, she noted, includes the collaboration with airlines operating between Kenya and Tanzania; Kenya Airways, Air Tanzania and the relevant Revenue Authorities from both countries.
She said both Postal Administrations are actively improving the Isebania-Migori, Taveta, Loitoktok, Lunga-Lunga physical points in bid to serve customers better and improve service delivery.
“The most exciting part of this collaboration is the impact it will have to the small and micro enterprises which are active in cross-border business. They stand to benefit from the developments that offer friendly and seamless services through the Postal Network,” Ms Koimett said.