LIBERIA: AMBASSADOR DEDICATES USPS-DONATED POST OFFICE

UNCLAS MONROVIA 000242

SIPDIS

USPS FOR OSCAR VILLANUEVA, INSPECTOR IN CHARGE
GLOBAL SECURITY & INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION

E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: ECPS EAID ECON LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA: AMBASSADOR DEDICATES USPS-DONATED POST OFFICE
BOXES

REF A) MONROVIA 33 B) 07 MONROVIA 1423


1. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield formally dedicated over 2,000
post office boxes and other postal equipment at the Ministry of
Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) on March 27. The post office
boxes and postal equipment were donated by the U.S. Postal Service
(USPS) and delivered March 2008 as part of the U.S. Navy's Africa
Partnership Station (APS) initiative in Liberia (reftels). This is
the first time in 17 years Liberians have been able to rent a
personal post office box to which they have the key. Given the
progress made recently by Liberia Post, we recommend resuming
shipment of surplus USPS postal equipment, via APS, if possible
(para 4).


2. In their remarks, the Ambassador and Minister of Posts and
Telecommunication Jeremiah Sulunteh stressed the importance of the
postal system in re-connecting Liberians to family and friends, and
in supporting trade and economic revitalization. During the
ceremony, Senator Blamo Nelson (Grand Kru) who is a strong supporter
of the postal service, encouraged the Minister to focus on
increasing postal coverage outside Monrovia. The extensive print
and radio coverage of the event drew heavily from the press release
and from interviews with the Ambassador and the Minister.

Next Steps
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3. MPT is in the process of establishing a house numbering system
to permit resumption of home mail delivery in Monrovia. In addition
to the new post office boxes, Liberia Post has been issuing a wide
range of new stamps, including a set featuring President Obama and
Vice President Biden. Although Liberia Post now has two mail trucks
and two vans, it is still far from able to transport mail
domestically. (A post office official noted he had mailed himself a
letter from a county post office some weeks ago, but it still has
not arrived.)


4. Comment and Action Request: The year-long delay between
delivery of the USPS equipment and dedication of the post office
boxes reflects the full range of challenges facing almost any
projects in Liberia. It took several months for MPT to negotiate
with the port for release of the donated postal equipment (due to a
dispute over a pre-war bill),more time to work through fraud issues
in assigning existing post office boxes, and a few months to
complete installation of the boxes in the main post office,
including adding additional security features to protect the mail.
MPT, like other government entities, continues to be haunted by
allegations of corruption and there have been press reports Minister
Sulunteh would be ousted in a cabinet reshuffle. However,
perseverance by working levels at Liberia Post has paid off, and we
recommend that USPS and APS support further donations of surplus
USPS equipment, to permit continued expansion of postal service in
Liberia.

THOMAS-GREENFIELD