PAPU keen on increasing member states
THE Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) is now embarking on an ambitious plan of engaging foreign mission in Tanzania to increase its membership.
The Secretary General of the African Union (AU) specialised agency responsible for spearheading and coordinating the development of postal services in Africa, Sifundo Chief Moyo said they were now banking on foreign ambassadors and high commissioners of countries who had yet to join PAPU.
Dr Moyo underscored the importance of the African dignitaries and ambassadors representing their countries in Tanzania in realizing such a mission.
“Our strength is on our solidarity, I would love to have a conversation with ambassadors whose countries are not PAPU members yet,” insisted Dr Moyo, as he hosted a group of African Diplomatic Group(ADG) which comprised of 14 official envoys representing their countries in Tanzania.
The PAPU Secretary General who was taking the diplomats on a tour of a 17-storey building jointly financed and developed by continental Postal Union and Tanzanian government singled out Cape Verde, Djibouti, and Guinea Bissau as countries that have yet to join PAPU.
Others are Mauritius, Mauritania, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles and South Sudan.
“PAPU belongs to Africans but there are some 10 AU member states that haven’t joined us yet, I’m therefore eager to have a discussion with their representatives here in Tanzania,” he said.
PAPU has a membership of 45 States, currently, from the 35 Member States at its inception.
Despite fewer members it has to its name, PAPU was still grappling with a continuous decline in Member States mandatory contributions which negatively impacts on the operations of the General Secretariat and implementation of the Union’s activities.
According to Dr Moyo, Total contributions received for current year represent 47 per cent of the 1.4 million US dollars expected from Member States’ total annual contributions, while total statutory indebtedness by Member States as of February 20 this year, stood at 6.3 million US dollars.
Once it comes to fruition later next month, the multi-billion PAPU Headquarters will provide adequate accommodation for PAPU General Secretariat, create an ICT centre to drive digitalisation of Postal Services in Africa and training facilities for up-skilling of postal employees and capacity building.
Speaking on behalf of the ADG, the Ambassador of Burundi to Tanzania Gervais Abayeho applauded PAPU for advancing postal services on the continent.
“We are very much impressed with what our Postal Union is doing and pledge our continued support,” assured the envoy.
Established on January 18, 1980 here in Arusha, PAPU is mandated with enabling the postal sector to become an essential component of the digital economy.
