ISLAMABAD - The Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz Thursday directed the Pakistan Post to digitize all post offices by the end of February 2021.
He directed this while taking the cognizance of the difficulties of senior citizens and widows regarding delay in issuance of profits against saving certificates issued by the Post Offices.
He said that the saving certificates purchased by the people from Post Offices under Ordinary and Special Accounts should also be maintained as per banking standards.
Secretary Communications Zafar Ahsan informed that at present 3200 post offices have been working across the country, out of which there are 85 A-grade post offices. He said that out of these 85-A grade post offices, 32 have been digitized and remaining would be completed next year.
He said the Pakistan Post is maintaining more than 2.3 million accounts which have been regulated by the Auditor General of Pakistan, hence lot of difficulties are being faced in transformation of data, as all the ordinary and special saving accounts are being maintained manually, therefore, its digitization would be a gigantic task.
The secretary also informed that measures have been taken to transmit post office consumers profit as per banking standards with the State Bank of Pakistan and as soon as the digitization is completed, the system would be started on banking standards.
The federal Ombudsman directed to form a two members committee at provincial level comprising Post Master General and the Provincial Controller General of Accounts who would meet fortnightly for reconciliation of data between the two departments. He directed the secretary communications to complete the digitization of 3200 offices by the end of February, 2021 and send its monthly progress report to the Ombudsman office.
He further directed that a number of complaints were regularly received against post offices on inordinate delay in dispensing the monthly profits, therefore, standing instructions be issued to all post offices for its in time disbursement to the citizens.
