Seychelles marks World Post Day |09 October 2013

Seychelles is today joining more than 150 countries worldwide to celebrate World Post Day.

In a communiqué released for the occasion, the Seychelles Postal Services say they are taking steps in adapting to new realities and intend to develop postal e-services progressively, while maintaining the efficiency of their traditional services.

“This October 9, on World Post Day, let us remember our national post's potential for delivering essential social and economic services to its citizens and businesses. Seychelles Postal Services salute the dedication of the more than 5 million postal staff worldwide who work to connect people and businesses everywhere daily,” says the communiqué.
 
“The Seychelles Postal Services invite the Universal Postal Union member countries and all postal stakeholders to celebrate postal services as a valuable service that contributes to the social and economic development of countries,” adds the communiqué.

World Post Day is celebrated each year on October 9, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in the Swiss capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1969.

The purpose of World Post Day is to create awareness of the role of the postal sector in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives and its contribution to the social and economic development of countries. The celebration encourages member countries to undertake activities aimed at generating a broader awareness of their post’s role and activities among the public and media on a national scale.

Every year, more than 150 countries celebrate World Post Day in a variety of ways. In certain countries, World Post Day is observed as a working holiday. Many postal services use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services. Other activities include the display of World Post Day posters in post offices and other public places, open days at post offices, mail centers and postal museums, the holding of conferences, seminars and workshops, as well as cultural, sport and other recreational activities. Many postal administrations issue special souvenirs such as T-shirts and badges.

In every country, postal services play a vital role in the exchange of information and goods.
The postal network remains the largest physical network in the world and a fundamental infrastructure that enables large segments of the economy to function.

In 2012, posts globally delivered 350 billion letters and more than 6 billion parcels. They also processed millions of financial transactions.

With more than 600,000 post offices globally, postal services are inclusive and accessible. The post is truly a public service for every citizen, irrespective of one's position in society.

Posts around the world are diversifying their products and services to better meet customers' needs for reliability, speed and security. As e-commerce grows, posts are positioning themselves as the delivery service of choice for goods ordered online.

The Seychelles Postal Services avail of this occasion to wish all post office staff a happy postal day.