Aden post offices offer distinctive services to teachers and citizens [Archives:2006/963/Reportage]

By: Ridhwan Al-Saqqaf
After several government institutions experienced poor performance and inability to cope with new advancements, the General Post Authority (GPA) decided to provide modern services to tackle such issues.

Among GPA services provided are postal savings, distributing salaries and pensions and settling water, electric and telephone bills. However, steps taken by Aden Post reflect a distinctive move, as explained by Abduladhim Al-Qadasi, General Manager of Aden's GPA office.

Interviewed by Yemen Times' Aden Bureau Chief, Al-Qadasi said, “As of this month, Aden's GPA office will distribute salaries of governorate teachers and educators.

Does this mean the process was transferred from one party to another or is this a benefit for teachers and educators?

First of all, I thank you for your concern for different issues and matters of great importance to government employees. Regarding distributing teachers' and educators' salaries as of this month, the matter isn't a transition process; rather, I affirm to teachers and education workers that the GPA will offer them special benefits.

What are these benefits?

The most prominent benefit the Aden-based GPA office will provide is enabling educators to receive their salaries easily from any nearby post office in various districts. Teachers and education workers can obtain their salaries at various post offices throughout the republic without any service fees, receiving their salaries in full without any deductions.

And, in the near future, they can obtain their salaries via ATM, as education offices will be supplied with ATMs to enable teachers and other employees to receive their salaries whenever they want during the day or at night via electronic cards. Education field employees will have other types of services soon to be announced.

Have you taken any measures to ensure that teachers won't wait in queues at salary time?

Aden teachers and education workers were assured that such an obstacle will never happen and this isn't merely talk; rather, it's a work plan Aden's GPA has implemented to save teachers time and effort.

We've completed establishing special sections in post offices to distribute education employees' salaries. For 10 days each month, these sections will be open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. in five post offices in various Aden districts and will be supplied with computers and qualified employees.

Thus, we don't expect any crowds; rather, teachers will receive their salaries easily at anytime – morning, noon or night – and from the nearest post office. These are the free benefits and services Aden's GPA office is due to offer teachers and education workers.

Is it true that you plan to deliver pensions of the disabled and the retired to their homes?

Yes. We currently are surveying the retired, disabled and elderly as a first step preceding the process of delivering pensions to homes to help these individuals dispense with visiting post offices. Improving the level of services for citizens, particularly those associated with delivering pensions of the disabled, retired and elderly, tops the authority's agenda as a type of gratitude for efforts they've expended in the past.

Is delivering teachers' salaries via post in Aden the first trial?

Delivering teachers' salaries via post isn't the first trial; rather, it's an extension of a government strategy involving delivering teachers' and educators' salaries by post in Taiz. The procedure was applied easily and tackled many negative aspects coinciding with salary distribution. Currently, the procedure is being applied in Aden and is planned for other governorates.

In case school administrations mistakenly cut salaries, how can a teacher settle this issue, as salaries are received via post?

We already took this issue into account, giving teachers a 10-day period to review any issue related to salary deductions before receiving their salaries. We assure teachers that we care about their rights and issues because this social class conveys a very important message, which is teaching.

What are your plans for development?

The GPA is witnessing a distinctive move in updating its infrastructure and performance and expanding outreach of services, thanks to efforts and directives by Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Abdulmalik Al-Mu'alimi, GPA General Manager Mohamed Ali Murghem and his deputy, Abdullatif Abu Ghanem. Additionally, many Aden post offices currently are underway to help expand postal services to other governorates.

Old post offices were updated, expanded and supplied with modern equipment, which in turn improved services and performance. We now have a plan to implement an updating process to cope with what's new and play a tangible role in offering services to citizens.

Any final comments?

To sum up, I reassure Aden teachers and education workers that the GPA will deliver their salaries in a manner better respecting their social status. Also, I commend efforts expended by the Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology and the GPA General Manager with the main objective of offering better services to citizens in general and teachers in particular.
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