Dear Editor,
I refer to the press conference held by the Chairman of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) relating to the robbery at the BV Post Office, which was reported in the papers on April 8.
I am one of those persons who lament present-day mediocrity, and harp on about us going back to the basics in an effort to obtain behavioural change and improvement. When the Post Office Department was slated to become a corporation, it took several months of planning. There was a General Manager Designate, a Secretary and support staff working full time to have the laws, regulations and operating systems tidied up. The planners knew what they were about and had a working knowledge of the Post and Telegraph Act, the Post Office Accounting and Staff Regulations, the Financial Regulations and other regulations and policy documents deriving therefrom, so that systems were in place to effectively manage the post.
In addition the staffing establishment was so geared to achieve stated objectives. The planners also made the Postmaster General the ‘Chief Executive Officer’ of the GPOC within a Guystac structure.
There were several models used by the political managers to achieve their objectives, including executive chairmen, supervisory councils, boards and vice-presidents.
However, in all this, including following the Justice George Commission report, the PMG remained in charge and accountable as the CEO. There was no debate as to whoever might keep the seal!
It is the emasculating and manipulating of the management structure and systems that make frequent losses of human material and financial resources a norm in the GPOC. Someone in authority needs to take a serious look and make decisions as to the future viability of the corporation. Perhaps we may now need to invoke the provisions of the framers and appoint the Post Office Users National Council (POUNC) to review and make recommendations as to what would be best for the workers and the public as a whole.
It really boggles the mind that the Chairman will now engage the union on working hours, when the 5 day work week has been lying around for more than twenty years and has still not been implemented. It boggles the mind that with the known entry level of recruits, the Post Office training programme with its linkages to Justice Bishop, adult education, GTI foundation in accountancy, CLC, postmasters seminars, and UG programmes was discontinued more than ten years ago.
It boggles the mind that where every other organisation seeks to retain institutional memory the board refuses to retain some operational staff with scarce skills. It boggles the mind that there is manipulation and implementation of a top-heavy management structure when lower level positions have decreased. It boggles the mind when delivery standards cannot be maintained because of a lack of planning and effective survey of new and developing areas.
Dare I say, ‘back to the basics’?
Yours faithfully,
LA Camacho
