Speaking at a ceremony to mark World Postal Day, Guebuza pointed out that the absence of banks means that there are parts of Mozambique where people are obliged to carry large sums of money because they have nowhere safe to put them.
The idea that there is no money in the countryside is simply false. Guebuza noted that agro-industrial enterprises generate wealth, as do the cash crops grown by peasant farmers (such as cashew nuts, cotton and tobacco).
Unlike the banks, the Post Office does still have branches in a large number of districts. This gave it the opportunity to work as a savings institution.
"The presence of this company in many corners of our country is in itself a competitive advantage", said Guebuza. "In many places this is the only company capable of offering citizens communications and savings services".
The Post Office could stimulate "a culture of saving and investment among citizens", he added.
It would thus. "in a visible and dynamic way, participate in empowering the districts as points from which development can radiate".
As for its role in communication, Guebuza called on the Post Office to carry information and communication technologies to parts of the country where these are currently not available. It would thus contribute "to the appropriation of these technologies by more citizens, as instruments for access to knowledge and communication".
During the Monday ceremony three new stamps were launched, inspired by this year's "Presidential Initiative Against AIDS".
This brings the total number of postage stamps issued since Mozambican independence in 1975 to 1,070.
SOURCE: AIM
