Emirates Post Group held a two-day round table on remuneration issues for Universal Postal Union member countries in the Arab region on the 4th and 5th of February 2020 in cooperation with the UPU International Bureau (IB) and the Arab Permanent Postal Commission (APPC).

As part of the Universal Postal Union’s technical assistance programme and regional development plan, the round table addressed several important issues related to remuneration in Arab countries. The postal remuneration system, also known as the terminal dues system, guarantees that Posts are compensated for the cost of handling, transporting and delivering bulky letters and small packets across borders. Experts in remuneration systems and regulatory matters discussed solutions to tackle future challenges and ensure the continuous development of an integrated remuneration plan that contributes to the advancement and growth of the postal sector in the region.

In addition to discussing the results of the third Extraordinary Conference and implementation of the new E-format remuneration, deliberations during the round table centered on reviewing the existing remuneration systems in the current Congress cycle and Integrated Remuneration Plan (IRP) to set the road map for developing an Integrated Remuneration system (IRS).

HE. Abdulla Mohammed Alashram, Acting Group CEO of Emirates Post Group, expressed the importance of this roundtable given the current transformations taking place in the postal sector worldwide: “We are pleased to host the UPU round table on remuneration for the first time in the UAE and to offer expert teams from all UPU Arab member countries and the UPU International Bureau a platform for exchanging views, solutions and unifying policies for the postal industry in the Arab region.”

HE. added: “The results of this meeting will provide valuable insights for the World Round Table on Remuneration that will be held in Berne on the 14th of February, in the lead up to the 27th Universal Postal Congress taking place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire later this year. We look forward to the continued cooperation and contribution of Arab countries in the development of remuneration policies in light of the accelerating changes and increasing competitiveness experienced by the postal sector.”

The round table was attended by HE. Abdulla Mohammed Alashram, Acting Group CEO of Emirates Post Group, Mr. Khaled Wali, Director of Telecommunications Development and Information Technology Department at APPC, Mr. Siva Somasundram, Director of Policy, Regulation and Markets at UPU and Mr. El Moctar Chadli, UPU Regional Project Coordinator for the Arab Region, in addition to experts from the UPU International Bureau, 40 representatives from APPC and postal establishments in Arab countries and, along with a number of participants from Emirates Post.