Seychelles Postal Services will be offering door-to-door delivery soon |29 August 2023
The Seychelles Postal Services has unveiled its new door-to-door delivery service
In a significant stride towards enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency, the Seychelles Postal Services has unveiled its new door-to-door delivery service.
This announcement came during a press conference held yesterday afternoon at the trade department headquarters.
Mariella Buisson, chief executive of the Seychelles Postal Services, provided an overview of the diverse range of services and products. These encompass ordinary packages, registered packages, EMS packages, letters and parcels.
Ordinary packages and registered packages are applicable for weights up to two kilograms. Beyond this threshold, items are classified as parcels. EMS packages, on the other hand, are facilitated through express delivery services, aligning with the courier models employed by companies such as DHL and FedEx. This entails a specific timeframe for the delivery process.
Its express delivery door-to-door service will focus on EMS packages so as to meet the standards set by the Universal Postal Union (UPS).
"As per the regulations of the Universal Postal Union, an organisation we are affiliated with, the EMS service mandates a door-to-door delivery approach. To ensure compliance and efficient service for our clients, we collaborate closely with our EMS coordinator. Upon the packages' arrival, the coordinator promptly gets in touch with the clients, notifying them of the package's arrival status," clarified the Post Office CEO.
Ms Buisson elaborated that certain shipments can undergo immediate delivery if they do not involve any customs-related implications.
In cases where customs duties or taxes need to be settled and a bill of entry is required, the EMS coordinator collaborates with the postal services’ clearing agent to appropriately manage these procedures.
“Our team which was doing the bill of entry before will now become our clearing agent also,” she stated.
“So all these services will fall under the post office – the bill of entry and the clearance.”
For the clearance process, the postal services initiate by sending the client an invoice delineating the specifics, including potential taxes, document charges, handling fees, and the actual bill of entry service. This comprehensive breakdown allows the client to make informed decisions.
Payment options include both bank transfers and transactions through cyber-source. Upon successful payment, the package undergoes clearance and subsequently gets delivered.
In the realm of regular postal services, the postal services are actively engaged in implementing a similar approach for ordinary packages and parcels.
In the near future, clients can anticipate a streamlined system where they receive a text message containing a link to a Google form. This form will allow clients to input their delivery details, specifying where they want their packages to be delivered.
“We have realised that there will be certain people who will not be home and will most likely be at work. So we will give you the option to deliver at your work place.”
The postal services team is presently segmenting Mahé into distinct regions for delivery purposes.
This strategic division is aimed at optimising logistics by avoiding daily deliveries to the same location, thereby achieving economic efficiency in terms of fuel consumption and related factors.
"The team is actively conducting tests on this initiative, aligning with our digitisation efforts," she stated. Upon signing the form, clients will simultaneously acknowledge a proof of delivery (POD) using an IOS-like system.
"In cases requiring payment, any necessary funds would have been pre-paid," she emphasised, highlighting the elimination of cash-on-delivery arrangements.
"Once signed, you can expect a seamless package delivery experience”.
In a significant development, Francis Lebon, principal secretary for trade, highlighted the forthcoming phase of digitisation, particularly focused on the express courier module.
In this endeavour, the trade department is diligently exploring avenues to comprehensively digitise all facets of the module. The primary objectives are to minimise paperwork and enhance operational efficiency across the process flow.
In fact a pivotal event took place yesterday morning when the trade department met with various couriers operating in Seychelles.
The focus was on the innovative proposal introduced earlier this year to bring about mandatory door-to-door service for all postal articles.
Furthermore, discussions centred on the imminent phase of digitisation, underscoring the broader transformational efforts within the industry.
“So when we met up with the couriers we discussed what we are offering and what we are putting on the table with the new system and to get their contribution, and the challenges or concerns which they may have, so that we can work together with them to make the system better,” the principal secretary for Trade stated.
“We believe communication is key and I believe there will be certain areas where we can do some improvements on to make sure that we continue to run well and continue to move forward to make sure that our digitisation system is at its maximum efficiency.”
Speaking on behalf of customs, a pivotal component of the Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC), commissioner of customs, Paul Barrack, shed light on the issues concerning express courier services.
He articulated, "Our efforts are dedicated to the comprehensive digitisation of a significant portion of our operations."
Mr Barrack emphasised that express courier services stands prominently among them.
"In a successful stride," he remarked, "we have completed the initial phase, establishing a dedicated platform for our customs courier management system."
This innovative system is poised to streamline processes that were previously reliant on manual intervention upon the arrival of courier packages. It aims to seamlessly facilitate the processing and documentation stages until the juncture of handing over the consignment to the responsible courier agency for final delivery.
Initiated on March 18, 2023, the ongoing operational framework is presently undergoing a comprehensive evaluation.
The objective behind this assessment is twofold: firstly, to ascertain its effective functionality, and secondly, to proactively tackle any minor issues that may have arisen during its implementation.
Mr Barrack highlighted a significant challenge pertaining to the WiFi system. He pointed out that intermittent disruptions were occasionally hampering its seamless operation. Consequently, there were instances where the system could not be activated, necessitating a temporary shift to manual procedures until the WiFi system is restored to its regular functionality.
When the system is operational, a comprehensive scanning process captures all pertinent courier information. This data is seamlessly integrated into the system, triggering an automated risk assessment and invoice documentation evaluation.
Notably, consignments falling under the R3,000 threshold receive automatic clearance through this process. Previously, the agencies responsible for these items were obligated to manually draft a bill of entry to clear the manifest.
However, this redundant procedure has been superseded by the system's autonomous functionality, which now undertakes this task seamlessly.
Effective September 1, 2023, a notable change comes into effect for items necessitating a bill of entry. Agencies or companies equipped with an in-house clearing system now hold the prerogative to independently undertake the bill of entry and subsequent clearance procedures.
This shift grants them the autonomy to manage these processes internally.
"If you do not belong to this category and you are an individual, you will need to liaise with the courier company handling the products you have acquired. This will facilitate the necessary clearance procedures on your behalf, ensuring a streamlined process for the delivery of your items directly to your doorstep," clarified Mr Barrack.
“A minor communication challenge has emerged between us and the agencies responsible for managing courier parcels. We are fully committed to addressing this issue from our end and implementing necessary improvements. Our ultimate goal is to ensure a smooth and seamless flow of operations.”
There have been some issues regarding the FedEx companies based abroad which Mr Barrack said “we will try and find a solution to”.
Other than that, Mr Barrack stated that he remains optimistic that the platform that has been launched will be the one that develops further and becomes very useful in facilitating trade in Seychelles.
Sunny Esparon