'All citizens need to have access to postal services at a uniform tariff, irrespective of whether they live in urban or rural areas'

HOWARD Gabriels, the Department of Communications' incoming deputy director-general in charge of postal policy, cannot recall offhand having had any bad experiences with the Post Office.

Yet he readily admits to problems there; the delivery services, theft, access to postal services and profitability.

On delivery, he says the Post Office has gone some way, with delivery time now at 90% of the target.

The remaining three problems are tougher to solve - and Gabriels is facing the Herculean task of rectifying them. The extent of the problem hit home this week when his department came under fire for approaching parliament for taxpayers' money to subsidise the loss-making postal services.

Gabriels now has to start working on another five-year plan to make the Post Office "self-sufficient", after it emerged that the government was going to subsidise the R572-million loss at the Post Office last year.

The loss occurred in spite of earlier projected profits of R81-million. Minister Jay Naidoo has, however, made it clear that the subsidies will not continue beyond a period of five years.

The department will also investigate efficiency gains, a new tariff strategy which includes significant increases in tariffs in 1997/98 and subsequent years, and a range of new business opportunities.

Having said that, Gabriels argues that the profitability of the postal services cannot be viewed in isolation from the need to restructure and transform the Post Office.

"We must provide a universal, efficient and reliable service at a uniform price. All citizens need to have access to postal services at a uniform tariff, irrespective of whether they live in urban or rural areas.

"There are challenges to re-balance things, to open up postal services in areas that were under-serviced and close points in areas with too many," says Gabriels.

A White Paper on postal services is due in April. In the meantime the Post Office will proceed with the rationalisation of the existing 2 400 offices, including retail and postal agencies, to end up with 1 400 conventional post offices and 3 500 postal agencies.

Gabriels is also looking at creating alliances and partnerships between the private sector and various Post Office subsidiaries with the aim of increasing productivity with fewer resources (there is a freeze on new appointments unless "absolutely necessary"), cutting labour costs, and finalising the bid for a lottery licence.

While Naidoo has raised the prospect of partial privatisation of the Post Office if restructuring does not work, Gabriels is not so sure if it is the right option.

"We have an obligation towards a uniform service for everyone. Partial or full privatisation means opening up to competition and rural areas may suffer," he says. He is, however, supportive of measures to reduce the monopoly of the Post Office.

He has worked in policy areas for virtually all his working life, and it is with this in mind that Gabriels thinks he can make a contribution to the Post Office. A former adviser to Naidoo, he has worked in trade unions for 11 years, including the General Workers' Union in the 80's, the National Union of Mineworkers and the SA Clothing and Textile Workers' Union.

He regards the first time he managed to win a case on behalf of a worker who was unfairly dismissed as one of his greatest achievements.

Gabriels has a degree in mathematics and statistics from the University of the Western Cape and an honours degree in economics from the same institution.

He is married with two children, 7 and 11, enjoys reading and is an armchair sports enthusiast.

Thabo Kobokoane

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