SVG Postal Corporation Pursues Shipping Growth to Support Vincentian Enterprise and Employment.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Postal Corporation will participate in the 15th EMS Global Workshop in Berne, Switzerland, on 15 and 16 October 2026, as part of its drive to strengthen delivery services, grow revenue and contribute more actively to the Vincentian economy.
Chairman Marlon Bute and Assistant Director, Business Development and Operations, Raffique Samuel will represent the Corporation. Their participation will combine strategic and operational perspectives, with a focus on translating international expertise into practical opportunities for the Corporation and the businesses it serves.
Organised by the EMS Cooperative, the workshop will explore “Future of EMS: Ensuring sustainable business through volume growth”. The programme will examine international market developments, practical revenue-generating strategies, cross-border e-commerce and changing customer expectations.
Invited speakers include UPU Economist José Anson, global parcel transportation research consultant Mark Schoeman and Wim van de Sande, Director of International Network Solutions at PostNL. Expected contributors also include Derek Sun, a senior executive from AliExpress Logistics, Alibaba Group, and Yongping Jin, Deputy Managing Director of China Post.
The interactive sessions will allow members to exchange experiences, contribute ideas and identify strategic priorities and follow-up actions for EMS. The organisers have encouraged in-person attendance to take full advantage of discussions, networking and collaboration across the international network.
For the SVG Postal Corporation, the emphasis on increasing shipment volumes and generating revenue aligns with its mandate to develop new services, strengthen existing operations and become a profitable institution.
Bute said this direction reflects the mandate of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Disaster Management and Immigration, Major the Honourable St. Clair Leacock, who has responsibility for the Postal Corporation.
“The Minister’s mandate is to make the Corporation a profitable proposition, but its importance goes beyond its own revenue. We want it to play a stronger role in building the Vincentian economy by helping small and medium-sized businesses, self-employed people, creatives and other entrepreneurs reach customers and grow,” Bute said.
“When businesses can sell more and reach wider markets, they improve their ability to sustain employment, pay good wages and employ more Vincentians. Reliable shipping is an important part of that. We want the Postal Corporation to become a practical partner in making those opportunities possible.”
Bute said the Corporation has a foundation upon which to build, including its employees’ knowledge and experience, its logistics infrastructure and its relationships throughout the region and around the world.
“The Corporation has considerable capacity, but there is room to make much more of it. Historically, that potential has not been fully developed. The direction now is to give the institution the mandate, support and scope to build on its strengths and respond to the needs of a changing economy,” he said.
“EMS is an area where we see great potential. There are resources and partnerships within the international network that we intend to tap into. Our task is to turn that potential into dependable services, increased business and tangible value for Vincentians.”
He added that his experience in business informs his approach to the chairmanship, particularly the importance of understanding customers, managing resources and turning ideas into workable services.
“Businesses need services they can rely on. As Chairman, I want to help ensure that the Board provides the direction and support management needs to build those services, develop our people and pursue opportunities with purpose. That is consistent with the Minister’s mandate for a more enterprising and commercially sustainable Corporation,” Bute said.
Samuel emphasised the opportunity for SVG Post to contribute to the international network’s strategic development.
“This workshop also gives SVG Post a voice in shaping the future direction of the EMS Cooperative. By engaging directly with postal operators and industry experts, we aim to strengthen relationships and explore partnerships that can improve international shipping connectivity for Vincentian businesses,” Samuel said.
The Corporation is also working towards introducing same-day delivery throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines and developing expedited shipping services to North America, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom. The workshop will help inform the international component of these plans through its focus on business growth, customer needs and cooperation across the EMS network.
These initiatives form part of a wider effort to reimagine the Postal Corporation’s contribution to national development, building on its people, infrastructure and international relationships to support enterprise, employment and economic growth.
