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Pos Indonesia moves forward after bankruptcy hoax
The news of bankruptcy, while of course untrue, nevertheless sheds light on Pos Indonesia's place in the world today and the notion that private services, such as JNE and Tiki, are much more popular.
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A PT Pos Indonesia worker carries a package for delivery. (Antara/M. Agung Rajasa)
P
anicked and appalled, netizens shared last week news of PT Pos Indonesia, which has served as a postal service company since the Dutch colonial era in 1906, allegedly going bankrupt.
The news, while of course untrue, nevertheless sheds light on the company’s place in the world today and the notion that private services, such as JNE and Tiki, are much more popular.
For Pos, it is a gentle reminder about the importance of striking a balance between serving the public as a state company and making profits as a commercial entity. It is also a reminder about the importance of conveying messages to the public.
“We are still able to pay for everything we are responsible for. If it was said we went bankrupt, that’s just wrong,” said Pos president director Gilarsi Wahyu Setijono in a limited media briefing recently. The company was still booking profits, he added.
While the news of bankruptcy may be false, Pos is not immune to fiercer competition from courier businesses and changes in technology, which is slowly killing off messenger and postal services that struggle to adapt and stay afloat.
The past few years in particular had been tough, Gilarsi admitted, as Pos needed to make good on its public service obligation (PSO) at a time when the private sector continued to aggressively expand delivery services.
Doing business versus public service
