The Universal Postal Union (UPU) recently released its State of the Postal Sector report, which examines the relationship between postal development and national economic growth. The report emphasizes the crucial role of postal services in sustaining economic performance and calls for collaborative efforts and investments from governments and stakeholders to foster the growth of the postal sector.
During the UPU’s Extraordinary Congress in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the report acknowledged several countries for their promising advancements in postal development. Austria, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland stood out as the nations with the highest levels of postal development, with Switzerland maintaining its leading position for the seventh consecutive year. Additionally, Oman, Slovenia, and Uzbekistan were recognized as “Rising Stars” due to their notable year-on-year progress. Brazil, China, Estonia, Ethiopia, and Morocco were identified as postal development leaders in their respective regions.
The UPU’s Integrated Index for Postal Development (2IPD) served as the basis for evaluating postal development, taking into account factors such as reliability, reach, relevance, and resilience of postal services. The index utilized comprehensive postal big data from 172 countries to provide a comprehensive overview of global postal development.
One significant finding of the report is the positive correlation between a well-functioning postal network and greater economic recovery following economic shocks or crises. Postal services play a vital role in connecting businesses and consumers, facilitating trade and commerce, and supporting the growth of e-commerce, thereby contributing to economic resilience.
The report also highlights the substantial economic impact of postal services. In fact, the report’s calculations demonstrate that without postal services, a country’s GDP would decline by nearly 7 percent. This underscores the essential role of postal services in ensuring sustainable national economic performance.
Ethiopia has been recognized as a postal development leader in its respective region. The Ethiopian Postal Service (EPS) has made significant strides in expanding its reach with over 1,000 post offices and service points across the nation, the EPS offers a wide range of services, including mail delivery, financial services, and e-commerce support.
The EPS actively collaborates with the Ethiopian government to enhance access to financial services in rural areas and promote the growth of e-commerce. This aligns with the government’s economic development agenda and underscores the EPS’s role in supporting national progress.
