KARACHI, May 24: The country’s first women franchise post office will be inaugurated in North Naziamabad on May 27.

The outlet is one of many such post offices jointly-agreed upon by the First Women Bank Limited (FWBL) and the Pakistan Post Offices (PPO) under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in April last year.

Under the MoU, women can apply to seek licence from the PPO to establish post offices; offer services as mail collection, stamp/ticket purchase, and booking of money orders and parcels. Moreover, the licence-holders may also start courier services, credit line for which would be provided by the FWBL.

At present the bank is providing financial assistance of up to Rs25,000 to each of the outlets to purchase merchandise, while the PPO is offering training to the intending licence-holders to run the offices. The credit limit can be enhanced in case of sophisticated ventures.

The women franchise post offices will not only be expanded to women courier services, which may also exclusively deal with women departments, but it will also be authorized to collect remittances through postal saving services for promoting the saving habit among the people.—APP