Postal workers have no choice but to embrace new technologies and the potential opportunities they provide.
This view was expressed by Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite, while delivering the feature address, this morning, at the opening ceremony of the E-Commerce Workshop for Caribbean Postal Workers in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of the General Post Office.
Commenting on the rapid development of new and emerging technologies, including E- Commerce, Mr. Brathwaite said: ???As the Minister of Home Affairs, I???m responsible for the Post Office here, and I accept that we do not have a choice but to embrace new technologies and embrace the new opportunities that are out there???.
While he openly admitted that he was never a firm believer of ???reinventing the wheel???, he acknowledged that ???there is always room for improvement???.
???Whether you???re in Europe, Latin America or the Caribbean, the challenges are the same and the issues are the same…the post has always found a way to re-invent itself and to deliver, and this is your challenge,??? the Minister charged the regional postal workers gathered.
He then addressed members of the local postal sector specifically and encouraged them to ???see how best we can utilise this platform for export, in particularly for small to medium sized businesses???.
Mr. Brathwaite explained that by associating with organisations such as the Barbados Investment Development Corporation, the local sector could gather information on small and medium sized businesses, in hopes of approaching them with opportunities to reach regional and international customers.
He added: ???We also need to engage our transportation providers, such as LIAT and any other airlines, and expose them to these tremendous revenue opportunities as well???.
Mr. Brathwaite encouraged the audience of Caribbean and Latin American workers to view the three-day workshop as an opportunity to learn from each other, and maintain a ???clear link??? between the two regions.
deirdre.gittens@barbados.gov.bb