August 9, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 8: The federal cabinet has approved the constitution of a high-powered Postal Service Board (PSB) for giving final authority to Pakistan Post Office Department (PPOD) in framing the independent postal policy in the wake of changing postal environment in 21st century.

The director-general PPOD, Agha Masudul Hassan told Dawn on Thursday that the PSB would work for the upgradation of postal service in the country.

He said the PPOD would shortly install ATM network in all major GPOs in the country to help pensioners in drawing their pensions.

Giving details about other projects, he said the PPOD had started accepting Wapda’s electricity bills.

He said the PPOD had received an encouraging response from electricity consumers and most of them preferred to deposit utility bills in post offices.

He said the PPOD had undertaken the work of collection of Sui Gas bills facility at Lahore and Karachi. “This facility is being extended to other places in a planned manner,” he said.

To a questions, he said special arrangements had been made at Rawalpindi GPO to facilitate the people for receiving bills.

He said the PPOD had signed an agreement with Paknet authorities under which 22 General Post Offices were enjoying the facility of Post-Paknet Cyber Cafes where Internet, E-mail and Pay Phone Card Services were available for the postal customers.

A memorandum of Understanding (MoU), he said, had been signed in March, 2001 between United Bank Limited (UBL) and Pakistan Post according to which the PPOD would take over the deposits and financial handling of various UBL branches, which are being closed in various parts of the country.

Another memorandum of understanding was also signed by PPOD with First Women Bank Limited according to which, the bank in collaboration with PPOD would work jointly to enhance working opportunities for women through establishment of Franchise Post Offices. “This will help women to find self-employment opportunities and enabling them to play a useful role in the socio-economic development of the country, he added.

He said The First Women Bank would also provide small and medium term soft loans to the women to purchase computers and other necessary equipment for establishing Franchise Post Offices on modern lines.

An agreement, he said, was signed with “Western Union” an international company for speedy transmission of money through Internet. This service will be very beneficial for overseas Pakistanis and help in doing away with the infamous “Hundi System”, he added.

The official said PPOD had entered into an agreement with COMSATS Institute of Information Technology for promotion of IT and human resource development in the country. “Under the agreement the Postal Foundation in collaboration with the institute has established IT training Postal Information Technology Centres throughout the country,” he maintained.

The official said the PPOD had signed an agreement with Canada Post International for carrying out a study on improving the quality and enhancing the competitiveness of postal services in Pakistan.