Ministerial Statement essential on SAPO’s trust deficit disaster
A lack of confidence by government, commercial banks, customers, staff and the general public in the SA Post Office (SAPO) spells disaster for the entity unless quick solutions are tabled to deal with its liquidity problems and future sustainability.
As such the DA calls on the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Siyabonga Cwele, to make a Ministerial statement in terms of Rule 106(1) of the National Assembly (NA) Rules to brief Parliament and the nation on the progress of the Post Office turn-around strategy that appears to be largely unsuccessful.
While SAPO Board Chairperson, Dr Simo Lushaba, appeals for a government bailout, the outstretched begging bowl remains unfilled by cash-strapped Finance Minister Nene’s MTFS refusal to fund inefficient state-owned entities. The SAPO is being left to its own devices.
A meeting with SAPO Board Chairperson and senior management at its Centurion headquarters on Saturday morning revealed a growing financial deficit of costs exceeding falling revenue, cash outflows larger than inflows, and a broken relationship of trust between the organisation and its staff, customers, suppliers, commercial lenders and the government itself.