AM WELCOMES BOOST FOR LOCAL POST OFFICES - Post Office Card Account contract awarded to The Post Office

Local Post Offices have received a boost as the Labour Government awarded the contract for the POCA service to the Post Office. The news will be welcomed by local post offices who rely on the business people picking up their pensions or benefits through the Post Office Card Account brings into branches. Around 35,000 people in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire have Post Office Card Accounts.

Welcoming the news mid and west Wales AM, Joyce Watson, thanked local people for campaigning on the issue:

“This is great news for the post office. I know many people in west Wales have fought hard to protect their local post office. I am delighted that the government has listened to what people have been saying . I would like to thank everyone who has stood up for local post offices and made their voices heard on this.

“At this time of economic turmoil many people are feeling worried about their personal finances. Post Offices are often the only providers of banking services in local areas so this vote of confidence in the post office is very welcome."

The Labour Government has decided to award a new contract for the continuation of POCA directly to the Post Office. This announcement is good news for the Post Office as the card account is an important source of income and brings customers through the doors of post offices across the country. The National Federation of Sub Post Masters had said that, without POCA 3,000 Post Offices would close.

The Westminster Government announced in December 2006 that there would be a successor to POCA and put that product out to tender. However, in order to support a viable Post Office network the Labour Government has decided to cancel the current procurement exercise.

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