COURIER COMPANIES have reacted angrily to an announcement that the Post Office intends to keep its monopoly of the postal service.
Posts and Telecomm- unications minister Jay Naidoo said at a symposium last week that he might apply to keep courier companies from transporting packages less than 2kg in weight. He said courier companies were providing stiff competition to the post office, costing it revenue.
Courier companies were outraged as this has traditionally been their market. The post office only recently introduced a courier service of its own.
Courier companies are doing well particularly in the corporate market as businesses distrust the postal service. The post office is one of the parastatals that may be privatised but Naidoo has said this could only happen once it has returned to profitability.
Spokesmen for several large courier companies said internationally postal services were being transferred to private hands. They said the post office should improve its own level of service rather than trying to stamp out healthy competition.
