NIPOST anchors survival on e-commerce, financial services

Everest Amaefule, Abuja

The Nigerian Postal Service says it is ready to hands off all regulatory functions and anchor its fate on new business opportunities created by electronic commerce as well as expanding its horizon to financial inclusion services.

The Postmaster General of the Federation, Mr. Bisi Adegbuyi, said this at a public hearing on a bill seeking the reformation of NIPOST and the creation of a new postal commission for the regulation of the postal and courier industry.

Currently, the courier industry is regulated by the Courier Regulatory Department of the postal organisation. If the new commission comes on stream, it will take over the functions of the department as well as regulate NIPOST.

Adegbuyi said the passage of the new bill would herald a new dawn for the Nigerian Postal Service as well as the entire courier industry.

He said NIPOST was ready to give up all regulatory functions and focus on operations in order to harness the potential that the Internet had created in the area of electronic commerce as well as the provision of financial services to underserved communities.

Adegbuyi said, “Unfolding events show how the sector is reaping from the booming and exponentially growing e-commerce segment, not to mention the utilisation of the vast network of post offices in creating financial and digital inclusion.

“Apart from the huge employment potential in the postal sector, the existence of the post office in all nooks and crannies of the country places NIPOST at an advantage over other organisations in Nigeria in terms of spread.

“It is an undisputable fact that the worldwide postal service under the coordination of the Universal Postal Union has a unique set of assets like universal coverage, a trained workforce and real estates in prime locations.”

In their own contributions, representatives of the Nigerian Communications Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bureau of Public Enterprises supported the passage of the bill but not without amendments.

Both the NCC and the CBN called for separate bills for NIPOST and the regulatory commission while the BPE said the new regulatory commission must be made to be independent of government, operators and consumers through the payment of annual operating levy by operators.

The CBN said that if NIPOST would be allowed to go ahead with proposed financial inclusion services, then such services must come under the regulatory supervision of the apex bank.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service also opposed some aspects of the bill that gave some tax exemptions to NIPOST.

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Source: Punchng
NIPOST anchors survival on e-commerce, financial services

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