Georgian Post Holds a Presentation of 2020 Activities & Projects

As the global health crisis persists around the globe, the Georgian Post Ltd of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development held a presentation on its activities and projects designed to deflect the devastating impacts of COVID-19.

A substantial part of the annual report was devoted to the participation of Georgian Post in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on the concrete decisions made by the leading national postal operator that have contributed to the mitigation of the virus and the well-being of Georgian citizens.

Levan Chikvaidze, General Director of the Georgian Post, said the main efforts in 2020 were focused on the “continuous provision of postal/ courier services”. In 2020, amid the raging epidemic, Georgian Post managed to serve 2,524,201 retail customers and over 3,000 corporate clients.

In the context of the global challenge, which equally affected all countries of the world, Georgian Post had to devise alternative ways to send remittances abroad, adapt to the existing reality, and play a responsible role in mitigating the effects of the deadly virus.

"Our main task was to take maximum care of human health, to adhere to the safety measures developed by the state and health organizations, and at the same time to continue providing services to both individuals and legal entities," said Chikvaidze.

Last year, Georgian Post moved to a special mode of operation in order to reduce the spread of the virus in Georgia. In the face of reduced mobility in the country, the company still managed to offer unrestricted postal/ courier services to both public and legal entities under private and public law, and also maintained existing international operations.

Being a company with high social responsibility, Georgian Post carried out regular disinfection works in service, postal exchange and sorting centers throughout Georgia, and equipped its staff with protective equipment. The company was able to conduct its personnel policy in such a way that despite a variety of obstacles, it did not lose any of its employees. Quite on the contrary,  Georgian Post employed around 500 persons during the pandemic.

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, Georgian Post altered the format of its delivery service. Employees ensured the delivery of parcels at home, without direct contact with the addressees.

In the shortest possible time span, the company designed a new service called "Door to Door Delivery", which allows customers to receive postal services on domestic remittances without leaving home, and in so doing follow the "Stay at home" recommendation.

Also, following the huge rise in demand for online shopping in Georgia, Georgian Post has fully adapted its services to the requirements of the e-commerce business and created yet another product, "Corporate Courier Services", aimed at promoting e-commerce and supporting small entrepreneurs. "Corporate Courier Services" is designed to provide delivery service for products purchased electronically across the country.

Should a customer be interested in "Corporate Courier service", they are given the opportunity to use the "Door to Door Delivery" service also. The customer can pay the value of the purchased item on the spot ("Cash on Delivery"), either in cash or through bank transfer.

In order to further promote e-commerce, Georgian Post has created the following new products: "Maleo for Corporate Customers", devoted to the introduction of products purchased through Maleo to the Georgian market by e-commerce organizations, and "Land Parcel for Corporate Customers," designed to export products through land services.

Also, due to the sharp increase in incoming calls to the Georgian Post Call Center, which rose by 43% compared to 2019, the company ensured a complete adaptation of the software and the work ethic of its Call Center to meet all customer demands.

No less important is the creation of yet another product, “Maleo Mobile Apps” (IOS, ANDROID), which aims to enable residents of all regions across the country to take advantage of e-commerce offers and receive comprehensive services. A courier service was integrated with the portal www.eauction.ge, and the product "Easy Insurance" was created exclusively for Georgian Post users. Also, a number of infrastructure projects were implemented: a new modern service center was opened in Batumi, and many others were renewed in different regions of Georgia.

It is important to compare the number of international outgoing shipments in 2019-2020. Despite the pandemic, compared to 2019, the number of remittances from Georgia has increased at the expense of land parcels, and the data is impressive: in 2020, imports of land parcels amounted to 3,000,000 kg. 286 000 kg.

In order to support vulnerable groups in 2020, Georgian Post carried out a number of activities, namely:

During the state of emergency, Georgian Post assisted the United Nations Mission in Georgia and the Georgian Red Cross in delivering a variety of food, basic necessities and medical supplies to Georgian citizens.

"Also, within the framework of our efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, on the instructions of the Coordination Council of the Government of Georgia and organized by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, also in coordination with the Ministry of Health, we provided 70 free deliveries of medical items, as well as postal items with any other content, to the residential addresses of the citizens of Georgia who belong to the highest risk groups. Georgian Post also provided home delivery for retirees over the age of 70, who live alone, and glucometer test sticks and batons for children and adolescents with diabetes and under the age of 18," noted Levan Chikvaidze.

It also merits mention that in order to promote education in the conditions of the pandemic, Georgian Post became a supporter of the project "1000 Computers - 1000 Large Families," the aim of the campaign being to provide computer equipment to socially disadvantaged Georgian families in support of distance education, as well as to guarantee free internet access for 18 months. Georgian Post, being a company with high social responsibility, joined the project to ensure the delivery of parcels to beneficiaries throughout Georgia.

In order to ensure the continuity and quality of education, and also to support emigrant teachers and students, Georgian Post provides for the transportation of books from Georgia to Georgian schools in the Hellenic Republic.

In order to support fellow citizens, Georgian Post joined the project of the Social Fund of the Georgian Diaspora Community Center in the Hellenic Republic, termed "Help a Compatriot," which aims to provide socially disadvantaged large families living in different regions of Georgia with warm clothes and food. Georgian Post ensured the transportation of charitable parcels to the beneficiaries, from the territory of the Hellenic Republic to different regions of Georgia. This long-term project is yet another effort on part of Georgian Post to support Georgian families in need.

Georgian Post pioneered yet another campaign, “Send by Georgian Post”, which covered four continents, 38 countries, and enlivened many people who miss Georgia. In addition, the campaign once again reminded the world of the uniqueness of Georgian guest-hosting. As part of the campaign, the platform georgiabypost.com was created, where foreign citizens send short videos and tell Georgians what they love, care about or miss most about Georgia. In response to these messages, our fellow citizens can select addressees, and send them parcels tailored to their unique wishes.

"Georgian Post is focused on continuous development, to always improve the quality of service, as well as diversify, and to always customize postal products. Despite the current crisis, we are working to develop existing services, as well as to introduce new ones. At the present moment, we are focused on the development of digital services. We plan to upgrade a number of service centers in Tbilisi and other regions, as well as implement many important projects, both locally and internationally, which will further improve the quality of the company's services," added Chikvaidze.

Georgian Post is the largest national postal operator in Georgia, distinguished by a large selection of services as well as the widest network of service centers. The Georgian Post is represented by 81 service centers throughout the country. The company aims to provide excellent customer service through all-encompassing postal services. The company is focused on the use of modern technologies, which allow to serve customers in the fastest possible manner.