Historical Development

Development of the postal service started as the post and telecommunication (P&T) Department. It became a corporation with the promulgation of NRC Decree 311 of January 1974 and has subsequently gone trough changes as a result of the promulgation of Acts 505, August 1993 and Act 461, July 1993

The Decree of Incorporation assigned the corporation the following functions:

• Operate postal services
• Operate national and international Telecommunication Services
• Operate on sound commercial lines

The structure drawn for the corporation under this decree provided for a Director-General with responsibilities for postal and telecommunication services respectively.

The separation of the post and telecommunication in Ghana is a global trend to address the inefficiencies in the postal sector, which is often unreliable and unresponsive to market needs. In spite of these shortcomings, the sector represents a significant proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and also a large employer. It is in view of all this that the World Bank’s Private Sector Department (PSD) started promoting worldwide postal reform concepts,

especially in developing countries. The prerequisite for this concept rests on the separation of the postal from telecom sectors in countries, where they are a single entity.

The idea of separation was therefore bought by the Ghana government an was consequently approved by parliament. The government, however, accepted as part of the Second Telecommunication Project (STP) to separate the Post from Telecom and to restructure both entities with the view to:

• Stimulating foreign investment in both
• Expanding and improving their networks to provide commercial and social service
• Improving their managerial capacities to ensure effective and efficient operations and maintenance of their facilities and services.

The Ghana postal services Corporation was consequently established as a separate entity by act 505 of parliament on August 31, 1995

Towards the eventual separation of the two entities, all assets were also shared.

Ghana post, as a part of the Second Telecommunications Project benefited from a restructuring study undertaken by a consortium of Dutch and Ghanaian consultants, Messrs Nepostel and Lexcroft, financed by the World Bank.
The government of Ghana, notwhistanding the restructuring study, converted GP to a limited liability company among other State Owned Enterprises following the enactment and implementation of the Statutory Corporation’s act 461, 1993.

To provide prompt, efficient, reliable and secure communications and financial services and products to foreign and domestic customers for profit.

The Ghana Post in its endeavour to fulfil its missions will emphasize in the following:

• Prompt delivery
• Competitive Rates
• Security of mailed items
  

Mission

To be the best postal organization in Africa.

Such mission has the following implications:

• The company must consistently increase its profitabilit
• The staff must be motivated to ensure loyalty to the organization
• Quality of service as in mail transmission and delivery time customer waiting and counter services must conforming to international standards
• Appropriate and latest technology in the industry must be used to enhance operations

Corporate Strategy

Ghana post will adopt a growth strategy in the medium term, specifically will diversify its activities by taking advantage of its infrastructure and network. Postal and communication related and non-related services will, accordingly, be provided during the plan period

Controls will be enforced to seal revenue leakages to obtain the benefits of diversification.

The EMS will also adopt “differentiation” and “cost leadership” strategies. This is to enable it meet intense rivalry and competition within the industry as well to take advantage of Ghana post’s wide network and infrastructure.

Services will be differentiated from competitors by

• Investing in research
• Having better product design
• Improving quality
• Improving customer service

EMS’ cost leadership strategy will be facilitated by its low cost of operations as compared to its competitors. This among others is due to economies of scale enjoyed as a result of the company’s extensive network and infrastructure. It currently has 75% local courier market share.

• Potential for private investment
• Postal transit hub
• Ghana post company is wholly Ghanaian with the government holding 100% shares.

However, under the Dutch government’s program for transport and infrastructure sector for Ghana, a postal hub is to be created at the Kotoka international airport. The objective is to promote Ghana as a hub for the international exchange of mails and parcels between West Africa and the rest of the world. This will certainly improve upon the quality of mail exchange among West African countries.

It will also foster the development of a business plan of cooperation between GP and its Dutch partners, namely TNT International.

• Economic Advantages
• Economic contributions can be seen in areas of business and trade employment, support for government organization and revenue for the government

Political

Conveyance of election Materials
In addition to use of its counters in collecting custom duties on imported items trough the post, GP pays dividends to the government annually.

Symbol of development

Post offices in communities, towns and villages are one of the yardsticks of the level of development of those areas.

Portrayal of culture

Philately plays an additional role of portraying Ghanaian culture abroad.

• Future Projections
• Faster mail transmission
• Computerization
• Postal Transit Hub (Kotoka Intl. Airport)

Corporate Profile

Ghana Post (GP) was incorporated by an act of Parliament, (act 505) in August 1995 which formally separated it from Ghana Telecom. By this act of incorporation GP was expected to operate on sound commercial lines and to be self – supporting.

Again, in July 1999, Ghana Post Service Corporation became a Limited Liability Company. The change in status placed the company together with similar private enterprises in the same legal and regulatory operating environment. This enabled the company to operate successfully in a competitive environment and also widened its objects as it existed under act 505.

GP as a corporate body was charged with the responsibility of providing its domestic and foreign customers in the communication and financial markets with prompt, efficient, reliable and secure service for profit. The vision of the company is “to be one of the best postal organizations in Africa, relying on a well motivated workforce and using appropriate emphasis on the public and commercial nature of the Company, and to ensure customer satisfaction, a Performance Contract between GP and the Government has been designed. The agreement spells out the obligations of two parties and the expected results of the performance or non-performance of either of them.

With a customer base including the financial institutions, commerce, manufacturing, educational institutions and NGOs, GP provides services trough three hundred and seventeen (317) postal agencies nationwide. The company’s success has been possible as a result of a well motivated workforce and the sound management policies of management and board directors. The full range of services provided includes:

Letter-Post Items

Ghana post has been empowered by law to be responsible for the routine acceptance, collection and safe delivery of ordinary and special mail items and non-priority mail items. The system of classification is based on the speed of treatment and the urgency attached to each mail item.

Priority Items

Are those mail items conveyed by the quickest route (air or surface) with priority and weighing up to 2 kg for letter and up to 5kg for items containing books and pamphlets and 7kg for literature for the blind?

Non-Priority Items

They are those attracting lower rates and a longer delivery time with the same weight limits as the priority items.

Airmail Items

Priority letter post are conveyed by air and always stamped “airmail items”

Aerogramme

Consists of a sheet of paper suitably folded and gummed on all sides. There should be no enclosures in an aerogramme

SAL Items

These are surface items with reduced priority, they are either conveyed by air first and then trough surface that is road or sea, the reverse also holds. The envelopes are normally affixed with “SAL items”

EMS Service

EMS means Expedited Mail Service. EMS is an international courier network which provides the fastest physical door to door delivery service to our domestic and foreign customer. All items posted have an insurance cover.

International Parcels Service

Ghana Post accepts as parcels any item weighing above 2kg for delivery abroad.

Swift Post

This is a domestic parcel collection and delivery service. It is a fast reliable physical delivery service. It is available in all regional and other selected post offices in the country.

Newspaper Registration

Delivery of company newspapers for an annual fee. such papers also enjoy reduced rates for postage since large volumes may be mailed trough the post.

Post Shop

The company sells at selected post offices supplementary products that promote letter writing and parcels postage such as cello-tapes, glue, wrappers, assorted envelopes and cards among others.

Cassette Post

The service is provided for customers who choose to send messages on tapes to their correspondents.

International Business Reply Service (IBRS)

The company provides IBRS that enables authorized senders to prepay in advance reply items posted by their respondents residing abroad. The domestic version of this service is provided in the Ghanian environment to organizations that require such service fot business promotion and others.

Internet Service

The company is setting up internet cafes at regional post offices as an alternative means of sending mails by customers

Philately Service

Stamp printing depicts the history of Ghana as well as its flora and fauna. Philately is the hobby of stamp collecting and a form if investment since the collections can be resold at a higher price during periods of scarcity of such stamps.

Ghana Post also provides philately service to domestic and mainly foreign collectors. It also prints definitive and commemorative postage stamps that capture the nation’s flora and fauna and mark special occasions. Philately products are available for sale at selected offices in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast and Takoradi.

REMITTANCE SERVICE

Ghana Post provides the following remittance services:

• Postal Order

• This is a specially designed security item which is used for remittance of any amount of cash to recipients within Ghana at a commission.

International Postal Money Order Service

This is a mean of remitting foreign cash trough the post to domestic beneficiaries from contractual agreements between Ghana and the sending countries. The money orders are usually paid in local currencies

Western Union Money Transfer

This service is a partnership between Ghana Post and Western Union Money Transfer. Availability of post offices throughout the country and long working hours offer a convenient way of receiving money sent trough the service.

Instant Money Transfer

This is a domestic money transfer service. This service is provided at major post offices throughout the country. Monies sent are received in minutes. A special school service meant for school fees payment is also available.

PROFILE OF KOFI DUA-ADONTENG

• Managing Director

• Entered the University of Ghana in 1976 and obtained LLB (Hon) in 1979

• Ghana Law School: 1979 – 1981, obtained the BL

• Called to the Ghana Bar in 1981

EMPLOYMENT – P&T CORPORATION

• National service at former P&T corporation 1981/82. Whilst on national service, was also appointed the chairman of a Committee of enquiry (the Dua Adonteng Comitee) into the affairs of the national Sports Councio (NSC) of which power members were Mr. K. Ebo Quansah and Mr. Kwasi Pratt.

• Became Head of Legal Department of then P&T and later Ghana Telecomm

• Was a member of the IC of GT in 2002

• Was a member of the panel of Legal Experts of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) based in Washington DC, USA 1996-1997

• Served as a member of the Administrative Council of the Pan African Telecommunication Union (PATU), now African Telecommunication Union (ATU), in 1993 and was a member of the group of legal experts who revised the legal instruments of the organization as a prelude to its restructuring in the 90s. He also served as a member of the PATU restructuring team.

• He was also a member of an African Group of Legal Experts who drafted the Agreement, the Operating Agreement, and other legal instruments of RASCOM (Regional African Satellite Telecommunications Organisations in 1990)

• He participated as the only legal expert from Africa in the work of the group of legal experts appointed to habdle the aspects of the restructuring of INMASRAT between 1996 and 1998. He performed similar responsibilities regarding the returning of INTELSAT

• Also was a member of the Task Force appointed by the government (1993-1994) to prepare the National Communications Authority (NCA) Bill

Now Managing Director of Ghana Post

He has a keen interest in Football and was former Vice Chairman of GHALCA, and until recently, Group Chairman of GHANTEL Football teams.