Koforidua, March 17, GNA - Mr Yaw Barimah, the Eastern Regional Minister, on Thursday appealed to the management and staff of the Ghana Post Company to change their work ethic to ensure the company's progress.

He reminded them that as an all-Ghanaian staff, they had the challenge to succeed to prove the point that Ghanaians have the capability to successfully develop their own institutions without expatriates.

Mr Barimah, who was addressing the opening of a two-day Annual Review Meeting of the Ghana Post Company, said if the company wanted to stay in business, then it had to discard its ''civil service attitude'' towards work.

The meeting, with the theme "Taking the post business forward in a competitive environment", is being attended by divisional and regional heads of the company.

Mr Barimah urged the meeting to come out with programmes and policies that would lead to greater innovation, dedication and commitment to work.

Prof Robert Addo Fenning, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, mentioned some of the challenges facing the company as insufficiency of working tools including transport, low levels of technological applications, low revenue generation, poor remuneration and lack of respect for company property.

He told them to take seriously the threat posed to the company by its competitors and embark on innovative research, diversified and well-packaged products and give priority attention to the computerization to enhance service delivery.

Prof Addo Fenning, welcomed the relief granted to companies in this year's budget statement, and said the board was in consultation with the management to come out with ways in which the government could assist them in their quest for additional capital to promote investment and growth.

Prof Addo Fenning commended the newly-formed Senior Staff Association and expressed the hope it would not be pre-occupied solely with negotiations for improved conditions of service for its members but would also explore avenues for staff education towards instilling in them integrity, devotion to duty and loyalty to the company.

He also lauded the local branch of the Communication Workers Union for the industrial peace that had prevailed in the company over the past three years and described it as a tribute to their patience, self-discipline and faith in the good intentions of the Board and Management.

Mr Kofi Dua Adonteng, the Managing Director of the company, reminded the staff of the serious competition and sophistication in the postal and courier industry including the advent of the E-Mail and Internet, from both big and small companies.

He stressed the need for them to cast out the "government work" syndrome in their attitude towards work since it was undermining the potentials of the company as a viable business entity.

Mr Dua Adonteng decried embezzlement in the company, cited the Ashanti Region as the place where the menace was more rampant and blamed the canker on poor supervision by the senior staff.

He said in its determination to take the business forward, the company was going to establish special business units including the EMS, Post Shop, Swift Post and Financial Services.

The company, he said, had recently started a month-long pilot "Corporate Mail Bag" service to render free door-to-door mail delivery to corporate customers in Accra before embarking on commercial operation.