Oman Post is spending around RO25,000 on each of its buildings to upgrade facilities.
It has a total of 92 buildings, and 54 of them have already been upgraded.
While some of the offices are being expanded and renovated with water-proof roofs, new flooring, glass walls and new lighting system, others will receive upgraded computers and Internet facilities.
Hussain al Lawati, assistant general manager - services and support, Oman Post, said, "We are restructuring our old buildings, some of which are over 30 years old, as part of our modernisation plans. Post offices are undergoing a face-lift. It is a necessary step as our services have increased beyond sending and receiving posts."
Further, the system of delivering services will also change - closed counters will be replaced with open ones. Oman Post aims to cut down on unnecessary costs once renovations are over.
"These changes are being done to enhance appearance and cut down on unnecessary costs."
"If we have glass walls, we will consume less electricity as we can use more of the natural light from outside. Also, closed counters occupy a lot of space and make the process tedious for customers. With open counters, the office will look more spacious and dealing with customers will become easier," Lawati said.
Lawati said that the modernisation process will also improve efficiency of employees and encourage more people to use the services.
According to him, Internet facilities at the offices will help in simplying procedures.
"Oman Post offices receive land-related applications, which are sent to the Ministry of Housing and its departments. We can send the papers to the ministry via e-mail, which means less paper work and quick delivery."
Oman Post also receives tax-related transactions of companies and institutions, the receipts of which can now be quickly delivered through the Internet.
© Muscat Daily 2013
