Caribbean Transportation Hub Think Tank Slated for November 28 to 30

The Central Sorting Office (CSO) will host the upcoming Caribbean Transportation Hub Project Think Tank, slated for November 28 to 30.

Delegates from the Universal Postal Union and Caribbean Postal Union will participate in discussions during the three-day event.

This, as the Post and Telecommunications Department (Jamaica Post) seeks to rectify protracted delays experienced by mail transport operators and clients across the region.

Subsequent meetings on the matter will be held in the other four potential transit hub countries.

Postmaster General, Lincoln Allen, says the upcoming meeting aligns with Jamaica Post’s strategic objectives.

These focus on modernising postal operations and improving efficiency and service delivery through ongoing transformation initiatives.

“The timing is just perfect, as we are now coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and international travel has resumed. The think tank can continue to move forward by making the necessary plans and executing them in conjunction with all our Caribbean and international postal partners and stakeholders,” the Postmaster General said.

Jamaica Post has commenced executing on solutions emerging from previous meetings. The provision of limited transit mail services on behalf of regional and international postal administrations is among the resolutions.

“The Department, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology (MSET), stands ready to implement the outcomes of the think tank meeting in furtherance of the established objectives. This will increase Jamaica Post’s capacity for additional gateways and increase trade for many Jamaicans,” Mr. Allen stated.

He indicated that conversations around the establishment of a second airmail facility at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay have begun.

There are also plans to retrofit and transform the Montego Bay Number 2 Post Office into a second international mail-processing centre.

Mr. Allen and Jamaica Post team members conducted site visits at both locations in July and October, and internal discussions are ongoing.

Representatives also met with their Divisional Director in the Technology Ministry, to reaffirm the agency’s commitment to evolve into a regional logistics hub for mail items.

Mr. Allen, in providing an update on the Caribbean Transportation Hub Project, said the Regional Transport Plan Agreement and Regional Routing Matrix have been developed.

Additionally, two Service Agreement Frameworks – one for postal administrations and the other for inter-line, intra-line and multi-modal transportation carriers – were also created.

The region will benefit from the project through increased airlift capacity, faster movement of mail items, access to more destinations, and greater quality of service. International postal and airline partners also stand to benefit from the initiative.