OGCIO plans to create addressing system for online deliveries
November 17, 2024 10:29 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Adorina Massing.
The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) has revealed plans to map out residential addresses and create a proper addressing system to ensure efficient online deliveries to doorsteps.
OGCIO Deputy Chief Information Officer (CIO), John Jack, highlighted the importance of shifting the country’s focus to e-commerce services to ensure that delivery systems are transparent and accessible nationwide.
“In Vanuatu, our address systems depend entirely on the Vanuatu Post Office, to send or receive packages, you will need your post office box number and private mailbag number,” he said.
“However, the real challenge is, a majority of our population has no Post Office account, so it becomes more challenging when online businesses need to locate customers and deliver their packages.
“Our solution to this pressing matter is, we are trying to create a proper addressing system which we can identify people’s residential address, so online businesses can easily deliver a customer’s package right to their doorsteps.”
The Deputy CIO clarified that the new addressing system will be based on the number of land plots.
“For instance, if someone is living at Stella Marie, their address would be Lot 65 Stella Marie Stage 2, Teoma Road, this is to certify that businesses can track from their Google maps and make the delivery to their homes.”
Mr Jack reiterated the importance of promoting e-commerce in the country and to achieve a fully digitalized economy is to ensure contributing factors are in place.
“One of these contributing factors is to guarantee that online purchases from anywhere in the world or from our e-commerce markets have proper delivery systems that are secured and reliable.”
Though it is a pending project, the OGCIO is still on the discussion stage with stake holders, before they can bring the proposal forward to the Council of Ministers (COM) to showcase their joint-efforts.
Stakeholders include the Vanuatu Post Office who oversees the address protocols , the Ministry of Public Utilities who looks after the Post Office, Department of Lands who has land records (subdivisions), land registry and land surveys, Real Estates, Port Vila Municipality, Provincial Centres (Area Administrators) to ensure e-commerce is accessible in other parts of the country.
“For e-commerce, we cannot restrict ourselves for just people in Port Vila but it needs to be accessible for both urban and rural areas in Vanuatu, to ensure customer products can be received safely and timely,” said Jack.
“A whole nation approach is needed at this point, so we can work with our partners and stakeholders to ensure each family has their home addresses registered online.”
He revealed that the Vanuatu Post needs to upgrade and start using the idea of ‘mailboxes’ in every residence to ensure package delivery is secure.
“Instead of people going to the Post Office every time for their packages, they can receive them from their mailboxes at home, using their newly registered plot addresses.
“In terms of safety and privacy, there are plans in place to work closely with stakeholders, community chiefs and leaders to ensure respect is paramount, in order to avoid vandalism, destruction of property and package theft,” he said.
He assured that the plans align with OGCIO’s goal of leveraging digital innovation to drive the country’s economic development.
