KAMPALA, Oct. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) said Saturday it would continue encouraging the private participation in the postal sector.

    In a message to mark this year's World Post Day which falls on Oct. 9, UCC Executive Director Patrick Masambu said the commissionhas so far issued licenses to five international, five regional and nine domestic private courier operators to supplement the efforts of Uganda Post Limited, the major operator.

    Masambu said in order to ensure effective regulation of the activities of the growing number of players on Uganda's postal market, the government in conjunction with the UCC, is in the process of developing a postal policy to give direction to all keystakeholders in the sector.

    "As a result of the growing competition, the postal consumers in Uganda have of late seen a wider range of new products on the market and a general improvement in the quality of services," he said.

    He pointed out that "a major challenge to the Uganda operators is to keep taking advantage of the new technological innovations, so as to come up with even newer postal products that match the customers' changing needs."

    Masambu also said that Uganda has secured the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Council of Administration Membership at the 23rd UPU congress in Bucharest, Romania recently.

    The theme of this year's commemoration is "the post is reachingeveryone everywhere."

    UPU, established in 1874, has a total of 189 members. Enditem