President inaugurates the 11th Asian Pacific Postal Union Congress

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 11th Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) Congress today (September 3, 2013) at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.  Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the Asian Pacific Postal Union, an inter-governmental organization of 32 countries of the region is actively working to improve cooperation among member nations in the field of postal services. He stated that the changing global scenario calls for postal administrations around the world to think differently. He called upon postal administration to be proactive to change. They must leverage their strengths to provide quality service to the people. He stated that worldwide, postal administrations enjoy the trust of people.  The President said that globalization and easier movement of workforce across nations have opened a great window of opportunity for the postal sector. With increasing requirement for remittance channels, it can, with the guidance of the Asian Pacific Postal Union, make a difference. He added that there is a huge scope for postal services to be engaged in e-commerce, and gain from the rising demand for such business products.  The President said that he was confident that the Asian Pacific Postal Union, having an unparalleled reach, would be successful. He stated that the Union is suitably placed to not only address the concerns facing the postal sector but also to explore the untapped opportunities.  Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Dr. Killi Kruparani, Minister of State for Communication & Information Technology, Smt. P. Gopinath, Secretary, Department of Posts and Mr. Mark Lawley, Chairman of Asian Pacific Postal Union Executive Council.