A symbolic contribution to the African postal sector’s drive towards digital transformation in service delivery has been made in Arusha, in the form of a modern building to house continent’s specialized agency for postal matters.

The Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) which is implementing strategies to promote electronic commerce in the continent, will now be housed in a multi-billion shillings architectural marvel, shaped in digital crypto stamp symbol.

The new facility, an office and commercial complex with state-of-the-art operating systems, will be inaugurated on Saturday, 2 September 2023, by Her Excellency, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

For Arusha, popularly known as the Geneva of Africa, this is a new jewel to her crown. Tanzania offered to host the Union when it was founded on18th January 1980 in Arusha.

The PAPU complex was built jointly by the Union and the Government of Tanzania, through the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), with ownership in the ratio of 60% to 40% for PAPU and TCRA respectively.

TCRA, Tanzania’s postal sub-sector regulator is a key stakeholder in the project and acts on behalf of the government to ensure that all hosting requirements are fulfilled.

The building has been completed Com three years after a ground-breaking and foundation stone-laying ceremony on 18th January, 2020 during the celebration of the Union’s 40th Anniversary. The ceremony was graced by Ministers in charge of the Post from PAPU member states. The then Tanzanian Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Eng. Isack Kamwelwe, laid the foundation stone on behalf of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

The structure has transformed the landscape of Arusha City. The digital crypto stamp coin catches visitors’ attention from different directions and its top floor give a birds-eye of Arusha City, with its fresh air, nice green vegetation, and streams flowing from the mountain Meru, Tanzania’s second highest mountain, after the neighbouring Kilimanjaro.

The PAPU complex stands on 22,421 square meters by a dual-carriage way to Moshi and Namanga on the border with Kenya. Arusha is the gateway to Tanzania’s prime tourist destinati9ns, including the Seregneti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation area, the latter a designated World Heritage site.

Most facilities in the towering 17-storey complex are of state-of the art equipment, hence providing top and classic services to users. It is the tallest building in the Northern zone.

The multi-purpose high-rise 17-storey building has a basement, and modern standard offices, commercial spaces for letting and a 167 parking lots (37 in basement and 130 on the exterior area). There are three sets of standby electricity generators (800kVA, 400V, 50Hz); 7,200-litre overhead water storage tanks and 210,000 litre underground tanks.

It has state of the art conference facilities that can accommodate up to 400 participants. The high-capacity conference hall is has modern digital and automated systems.

There are five breakaway meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 30 participants in each room, also with a VVIP room and a VIP room.

The initiative to construct the classic PAPU Complex was taken at the 29th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the then Organization of African Unity (OAU), now AU in July 1977 in Libreville, Gabon. They adopted Resolution CM/Res. 586(XXIX) and recommended the establishment of the Pan African Postal Union to serve as an umbrella body for all postal administrations in Africa.

This resolution was approved by Heads of State and Government during the 14th Session of the OAU Summit that followed the Ministerial meeting hin Libreville (Gabon) in July 1977.

On 7 October 1984, PAPU and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania entered into an Agreement that defined the terms and conditions relating to the establishment of the Headquarters of the Union in Arusha, Tanzania. This was subsequent to the Instrument of Full Powers that was issued by President Julius Kambarage Nyerere, on 24th September 1984, thus paving way for the establishment of the seat of the Pan African Postal Union in Arusha.

Historically, Postal Services in Africa have played a unique role, right away before, during colonialism and after the attainment independence. In his message in this year’s Pan African Postal Day on 18 January 2023, TCRA Director General, Dr. Jabiri Bakari said cross-border cooperation through Postal Services was becoming an increasingly important factor in establishing a stimulating business environment.

To make this a reality Tanzania has cherished harmonized Postal Services with other African Countries across borders, he added.

“The harmonization of Cross border e-commerce business from one country to another advocates for challenges, when entering into the cross-border and global markets, especially in an online environment, due to the different in cultures, laws, regulations, habits, languages, technological levels and different customs clearance scenarios”. Dr. Jabiri said.

He explained that cross-border logistics also involved more processes than local logistics, such as laws and regulations, technology, cross-border payments, and electronic customs clearance, PAPU Members States should address effectively.

PAPU has expressed it commitment to transform the Post in Africa in to an established promoter of cross-border e-commerce in the content. The Union’s Secretary General, Sifundo Chief Moyo said in his 2023 Africa Post Day message on 18 January this year that this will be realized through the digital transformation of the traditional Post into a “Smart Post” built on new technologies for holistic and integrated service delivery.

The Post is on a different trajectory following the decline of letter volumes, increase of e-commerce small packets and the postal industry should redirect its efforts, re-capacitate its resources, and re-calibrate its approach in order to re-establish and reposition itself as a logistics giant leveraging its historical capital as a trusted logistics provider, he said.

The Post has also to seize the opportunities offered by the promising ecommerce markets to boost their revenue sources and firm up on its relevance to the communities it serves. The more than 37,000 postal outlets spread across the continent are an ideal launching ramp for the Post to expand its reach through digitalization and pursuit of “smart post office” status.

“It is through the accessibility of postal applications and services through the internet and handheld devices like smart phones, tablets, laptops etc. that the Post can be effective and efficient in service delivery”, he added.