(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- With e-commerce being the driving force behind postal services, Oman Post believes these have a great future in the sultanate.
Building on its revenues, Oman Post also hopes it will be able to operate on zero government subsidy by 2021.
Speaking to Muscat Daily on the sidelines of the first edition of the Oman Post Forum 2018 at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) Cultural Centre, Abdulmalik al Balushi, chief executive officer of Oman Post, said the future of postal services is bright.
'E-commerce is driving postal services and taking it to untapped areas in Oman. Here, e-commerce has not caught up yet like in other areas in the region. We hope it will grow further in the next two years and that is where Oman Post will reap benefits,' Balushi said.
In order to tap into new growth opportunities, Oman Post is diversifying its portfolio into a broad range of new service areas. E-commerce represents a tremendous opportunity as consumers are become increasingly comfortable with ordering items online.
'E-commerce is the main driver of revenues. We are thinking of government services. We are also thinking of making postal offices as a hub for services. We believe if we capitalise on what we have, be it e-commerce, through the supply chain, we can achieve the best. We have improved our costs, from covering 64 per cent of it on subsidy to covering 50 per cent on subsidy this year. By 2021 we hope to operate on zero subsidy.'
While there is a shift in mindset across the world when it comes to postal services, it is all about customer satisfaction, Balushi said.
'Oman Post is investing in technology in every aspect of its business portfolio and operations, while taking into account quality assurance, business excellence, and added value for its stakeholders.
'Our journey to excellence hinges on transforming our business portfolio now and in the future. Our approach is rather simple - we are implementing a comprehensive strategy that streamlines all processes and drives greater operational effectiveness and efficiency.'
Balushi added that in implementing the latest models of business excellence, Oman Post merges global know-how with local expertise. 'We understand the requirements of our customers, while always striving to provide world-class service.'
The Oman Post Forum 2018 features an exhibition from December 10 to 12 at SQU Cultural Centre, highlighting the company's business functions. On display is a state-of-the-art post office model offering a window into the future of postal services.
The forum is a platform for the Asyad Group member to share its vision, mission and strategy to grow the postal services industry in Oman and leverage untapped opportunities in this key contributing sector of the national economy.
Day 1 of the forum saw the signing of key partnerships between Oman Post and Dar al Atta'a, wherein the company will be the logistics partner supporting the women's empowerment programme 'Min Beiti', as well as the Thawani e-Payment platform, which provides customers an innovative solution for e-payment.
Oman Post's strategy is three-fold revolving firstly around implementing 'Lean' strategies to optimise core mail operations, grow the parcels business and diversify into new growth markets. Secondly, enhance its logistics network in order to offer other products and services outside the traditional postal model. Thirdly, it focuses on international growth by expanding reach and diversifying operations.
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