An online shopping platform will be introduced by the Bermuda Post Office to increase revenue, according to Walton Brown, the Minister for the Cabinet office.

This will allow customers to purchase products and have them delivered through the post office network.

Mr Brown added: “We will also be looking to increase revenues by expanding our courier services.”

He said the Express Mail Service will also be improved.

Mr Brown said products would be marketed to increase awareness of EMS products available and that the post office also aimed to increase its EMS global ranking.

He said the post office was also in the process of change, with the first stage of the new postal solution to be completed in May.

Mr Brown said: “This will allow for the phasing out of six legacy systems into one system, integration.”

He said the integration of systems would allow for an IBS platform which would decrease the length of time it took to process transactions.

He explained that IBS software is used globally and managed by the Universal Postal Union to record and track mail volumes between jurisdictions.

Mr Brown said the new postal solution would also enable new products and allow the post office to manage operations more effectively with real time reporting of operation and financial data.

He said better technology would include touchscreen kiosks and public wi-fi at the post offices.

Mr Brown added that the post office should be ready for e-commerce by 2020 and is expected to undergo several reviews this year in preparation.

He said the goal was to move the post office to a more customer service oriented and sustainable service.

Susan Jackson, the Opposition Whip and Shadow Minister of Government Reform, asked Mr Brown for information on the cost to purchase the technology needed for the online platform.

Ms Jackson added: “I’m just curious how the post office is preparing for that kind of added demand on their day-to-day operations.”

She asked if the plan meant there would be a need for an overseas facility.

Ms Jackson also asked if any studies had been conducted to determine if there was a demand for the online shopping platform.

Mr Brown said that there had been an assessment carried out.

He added: “There is high demand for online services. That’s why we decided to go this route.”

Mr Brown said that the consolidation of packages would be outsourced to an overseas company.

He said the cost of an online shopping platform would cost “much less” than $200,000.