Azerbaijan, Baku, April 8 / Trend H.Valiyev /
Azerbaijan presented a project in the field of postal services for consideration to the Board of Trustees of the Quality of Service Fund (QSF) of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), Azerpoct LLC told Trend on Monday.
The project is scheduled to be considered during the spring session of the UPU which started on Monday in Bern (Switzerland), where Azerbaijan is represented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies and Azerpoct LLC. Azerbaijan was elected a member of the Board of Trustees of the UPU in early 2012.
"The project to be considered during the spring session of the UPU, is part of the World Bank project on 'Development of Financial Services in Azerbaijan', the LLC said.
The Board of Trustees will also consider financing the projects outlined in the postal field in different countries, including the one submitted by Azerbaijan.
The spring session will also discuss and study a number of important regulatory, administrative, legislative and legal issues in the field of international mail.
In October 2012, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) signed a grant agreement with Azerpocht to the sum of $600,000 for the implementation of the three-year project.
The project consists of three components - auditing the postal service by an independent international audit company on the results of 2011-2012, development of a new marketing strategy of LLC and organisation of training for postal operator staff. Terms of reference for all of the components are prepared and agreed upon with both the Central Bank of Azerbaijan and World Bank.
Technical assistance to Azerpocht is allocated to prolong the life of the World Bank project on 'Development of financial services in Azerbaijan.
The total cost of the project, the main component of which is the modernisation of the postal network in the country, amounts to $17.5 million, of which $12.25 million falls to the WB loan, and the rest to the Azerbaijani government.