MOPT Introduces Digital Address System Soon

By Bill Weh Pyne
Minister Cooper Kruah during the celebration
The Administration of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication is working frantically towards the formal introduction of Digital Address System (DAS) for the entire Country which promises numerous benefits, as in case of fire or other emergency, the location and identity where the incident occurred will be easily identify.
Minister Cooper Kruah made the disclosure over the weekend during the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) established in 18th January 1980 in Arusha, Tanzania by heads of states on the African Continent to regulate post services.
The theme for this year celebration is “The Post: A veritable partner for financial inclusion and regional integration”.
According to the minister, DAS which is powered by the Global Positioning System (GPS) for tracking and location finding will be a tremendous asset not just for the MOPT but also the Liberia Revenue Authority, Fire Service and the Liberia National Police in the rapid discharge of their respective duties.
He stressed that the system will also provide opportunities for ordinary Liberians as the ministry will be offering training for many young people to carry out the numbering of homes and other properties throughout the country but beginning with montserrado County.
Furthermore, the minister noted that they are currently working with the National Investment Commission and other stakeholders for the establishment of the Postal Financial Services and other electronic services at the posts through a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
He added that Postal Financial services and other e-services are all about money transfer, remittances, mobile money, savings, e-wallet, on-line purchase and delivery of goods, services he said are very important to meeting the postal demands of the people.
In addition to the Postal Financial services he made mention of the set-up of a Revenue Collection and Enforcement Section which is specifically responsible to collect and conduct field enforcement for outstanding payments from delinquent customers that have brought value and increase the intake on debt collection.
“The mechanization of our counter service to deliver on a real time basis is underway to improve the quality of service and revenue collection to avoid and curtail any possible leakages and the delay in our services to the public,” Minister Kruah said assurance.
He then praised PAPU for being so innovative and putting in place strategies for member countries to diversify into more potential ICT based products such as Financial Services, E-commerce, and other electronic services with huge potentials for immense revenue intake.
Minister Kruah also said besides providing regulations and technical expertise, the Union has most importantly provided and still providing training opportunities for member states in ICT; of which many Liberians have benefited and others are expected to benefit.
The idea to establish PAPU came about in July 1977 during a meeting of Heads of States in Libreville, Gabon where a resolution taken. Thereafter, the Convention formally establishing PAPU as a specialized agency of the then Organization of African Unity, now African Union during the Constitutive Plenipotentiary.