Chunghwa Post is planning to open at least five unstaffed post offices by 2019 as part of its strategy to develop digital financial services, the company said on Tuesday.
The company has chosen Jinnan Post Office on Aiguo E Road in Taipei to launch its first digital service station, Chunghwa Post vice president Wang Shu-ming (王淑敏) said, adding that part of the post office would be renovated to accommodate self-help kiosks, desktop computers, tablet computers, interactive monitors and iPostBoxes.
“This will be a trial operation, as most of our customers are not used to accessing postal services over the Internet. The self-help service in the Jinnan Post Office would be an opportunity for them to familiarize themselves with the new service and we will have staff to show them how to do it,” she said, adding that the trial operation will begin in March next year.
If the trial is successful, the company would replicate the business model and open unstaffed post offices in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Kaohsiung and on the east coast, she added.
The company is planning to install virtual teller machines (VTMs) at the unstaffed offices, Wang said.
The VTMs, which can identify people, would offer 24-hour postal services, from opening savings accounts and applying for ATM cards to changing account information.
The purpose of building digital offices is not to shut down any post offices, Wang said, adding that 24-hour access to postal services would bring convenience to residents of some underserviced areas.
The company has also laid out “smart” logistics and long-term healthcare services as its two other development strategies.
Regarding the smart logistics service, the company aims to raise the number of iPostboxes to 2,000 nationwide by 2019. Construction of a new smart logistics park near National Sports University (A7) Station of the Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line is scheduled to be completed by 2021.
In line with the government’s “green” energy policy, the company would have 1,627 electric motorcycles and 12 electric cars by the end of this year. The number is to rise to 8,946 and 2,200 respectively by 2023.
The company is to offer services to elderly people under its long-term healthcare services, such as offering home care services at its Postal Hospital, offering insurance plans for long-term healthcare and having an “elderly shoppers” section on its Post Mall e-commerce site.
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