The UPU Publishes Its World Postal Statistics For 2006 - December 6, 2007

Letter volumes are stabilizing, the growth in parcel volumes is continuing, and postal revenue is sharply up: these are the three major trends highlighted in the worldwide postal statistics for 2006, published today by the Universal Postal Union. Since 1875, the UPU has gathered statistics from the operators designated by UPU members around the world to provide the universal postal service. Of the 191 UPU member countries, 163 responded to the 2006 questionnaire. The figures are therefore based on information provided by participating Posts and UPU estimates. Trends for 2006. Modest upturn for letter traffic: With a total of 433 billion mail items, domestic letter-post traffic was slightly up compared to 2005, returning to the same level as in 2000. The strongest growth was in Africa ( 2.1 percent),while the Arab countries saw the biggest drop (-2.5 percent).Generally speaking, advertising items had a positive impact on mail volumes, which have faced heavy competition from electronic communications over the past few years. Volumes of international letter post (5.5 billion items) were down 2 percent overall, though there was wide regional variation, with volumes up 8.1 percent i the Caribbean, and down a full 15 percent i Africa. Parcels traffic on the rise: With a total of 6.235 billion items in the domestic and international services combined, parcels traffic was up 4.8 percent compared to 2005. The biggest rise in domestic parcels traffic was seen in Africa ( 11.7). For the international service, it was Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) which saw the biggest increase ( 21.4 percent).The delivery of merchandise ordered via the Internet is thought to be one of the growth factors. Strong financial performance: With a total of 204.8 billion SDR* (equivalent to 308.1 billion USD), worldwide postal revenue was up 13 percent compared to 2005. This growth was shared by three-quarters of UPU member countries. Letter post still generates more than half (52.3 percent) f operating revenue, but this figure was 7.7 percent lwer than in 2005. Meanwhile, revenue generated by parcels and logistics services rose by 6 percent t contribute 27 percent of global revenue. Financial products accounted for 14 percent of revenue. A few key figures for 2006 (countries with more than 100,000 inhabitants) Average number of letters sent per inhabitant (domestic and international) 1. Switzerland (713) 2. United States of America (667) 3. Norway (573) 4. Finland (533) 5. Luxembourg (483) 6. Slovenia (476) 7. Great Britain (343) 8. Australia (254) 9. Czech Republic (248) 10. Estonia (195)

Average number of ordinary postal parcels sent per inhabitant (domestic and international) 1. Japan (18.1) 2. Switzerland (14.1) 3. United States of America (7) 4. Norway (4.9) 5. Finland (4.7) 6. Australia (4.6) 7. Republic of Korea (2) 8. Estonia (1.3) 9. Ireland (0.9) 10. Slovakia (0.9)

Average number of inhabitants served by a post office 1. Cyprus (739) 2. Maldives (1,397) 3. Belize (2,041) 4. Sweden (2,257) 5. Latvia (2,326) 6. Estonia (2,376) 7. Bulgaria (2,576) 8. Uruguay (2,665) 9. Ireland (2,755) 10. Czech Republic (2,996). Other key facts for 2006: " The world's postal services employ over 5.5 million people. With 37 employees, Vanuatu Post has the smallest staff and the United States Postal Services have the biggest (796,199 employees).

" There are some 660,000 post offices, forming one of the most extensive networks in the world. Just under half of these offices are managed by people from outside the public postal operator. The Vatican has the lowest number of post offices (4), and India the highest (155,333).

" The worldwide number of letter-post items posted per inhabitant was 66.7. Industrialized countries had the highest average (403.7), sub-Saharan Africa the lowest (3.0). In around 30 developing countries, the number of items sent per person was less than one. " For parcels there is even greater variation in these averages: worldwide, an average of 947 parcels were posted per 1,000 inhabitants. Industrialized countries: 6,375; Arab countries: 5. Logistics services are offered by the Post in 28 percent of member countries (26 percent of developing countries and 36 percent of industrialized countries).

" Internet-based services are offered by 60 percent of operators around the world (56 percent i developing countries and 86 percent i industrialized countries).

" 69.1 percent of permanent or mobile post offices offer financial services. Average number of letters sent per inhabitant (domestic and international) 1. Switzerland (713) 2. United States of America (667) 3. Norway (573) 4. Finland (533) 5. Luxembourg (483) 6. Slovenia (476) 7. Great Britain (343) 8. Australia (254) 9. Czech Republic (248) 10. Estonia (195). Average number of ordinary postal parcels sent per inhabitant (domestic and international) 1. Japan (18.1) 2. Switzerland (14.1) 3. United States of America (7) 4. Norway (4.9) 5. Finland (4.7) 6. Australia (4.6) 7. Republic of Korea (2) 8. Estonia (1.3) 9. Ireland (0.9) 10. Slovakia (0.9). Average number of inhabitants served by a post office 1. Cyprus (739) 2. Maldives (1,397) 3. Belize (2,041) 4. Sweden (2,257) 5. Latvia (2,326) 6. Estonia (2,376) 7. Bulgaria (2,576) 8. Uruguay (2,665) 9. Ireland (2,755) 10. Czech Republic (2,996).

By: UPU Press Release

Pakistan Post to Offer Money Transfer Through Mobile Phones - December 4, 2007

The Pakistan Post will soon introduce the scheme of money transfer through mobile phone services, said the Director-General Pakistan Post, Arshad Khan, on Monday. The DG Pakistan Post chaired the meeting of Pakistan Postal Services Management Board at the office of Postmaster-General, Sindh, which was especially addressed by Federal Minister for Communications Barrister Habib-ur-Rahman who, in his address, gave his guidelines for improving postal services in the country. Khan said the meeting was especially held in Karachi keeping in view the city’s importance as the hub of financial, trade and market activities. The meeting of Postal Services Management Board approved, in principle, to launch the scheme of money transfer through mobile phones in collaboration with the operators of telecommunication services in the private-sector. He said that, at present, the Pakistan Post was undertaking negotiations with various providers of mobile phone services in the country for launching of the unique money transfer service. He said that initially the money transfer service would be provided in the major cities only and later on its services would be extended to smaller cities for the benefit of the customers of postal services. The DG said that once Pakistan Post signs an agreement with the private-sector service-providers to launch the money transfer scheme, he would be in a better position to tell as to when the Post Office would start providing the service. He said that the board meeting also approved a scheme for launching the services of micro-finance banking through post offices. He said that Pakistan Post had already signed an agreement with the First Microfinance Bank for launching of facilities through post offices. He said that, hopefully, the scheme would materialise in the current month under which prospective investors and owners of small and medium-sized businesses could borrow loans without going through the hassles of banking environment or institutions. The Pakistan Post is also considering launching video-conferencing service facilities through the post offices under the public-private sector partnership programme. Khan said that once the service was launched by the Pakistan Post, any member of the public could walk into a post office for using the video-conferencing facility for resolving his private and business issues. Those who attended the meeting of Pakistan Postal Services Management Board included Financial Adviser/Joint Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Mukhtiar Ali Malik; Joint-Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Khalid Ahmed Khan; Postmaster-General, Punjab Circle, Muhammad Ahmed Mian; Additional DG, Pakistan Post, Shamshad Hussain Khan; President, Allied Bank Pakistan, Khalid Ahmed Sherwani; Shahida Saleem of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry; and Jamil Ahmed who is deputy director-general Pakistan Post and also secretary of the postal services management board.

By: The News.Com

EU Authorizes $1.3 Bln UK Aid For Postal Service - November 29, 2007

The British government may help its post offices with 634 million pounds ($1.3 billion) of funding starting on April 1 without violating EU state aid rules, the European Commission said on Thursday. The European Union's top competition watchdog said the British government may also continue providing loan facilities for cash services at post office counters. State aid is generally illegal but an exemption exists for public services. "Under the community framework for state aid in the form of public service compensation, it is for the member states to define the public service," in this case postal services, the Commission said in a statement. The Post Office is state-owned and operates 14,000 branches around Britain. Many of its services are inherently loss-making, the Commission said. "The post office network is entrusted with important public service tasks and the Commission is satisfied that the requirements of the community framework for state aid in the form of public service compensation are met," it said.
By: Reuters

UN Agencies Sign Pacts To Benefit Portuguese-Speaking Countries - November 9, 2007

Two United Nations agencies signed agreements today to help Portuguese-speaking countries in their efforts to reduce rural poverty and to streamline and improve their postal operations. The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) reached agreement that “will consolidate their partnership and enable them to more effectively tap available resources to fight rural poverty,” IFAD said in a news release after the pact was signed in Lisbon. The agreement aims to optimize development funds in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste. To date, the Fund has invested some $336 million in support of 27 programmes and projects worth a total of $758 million in these countries. Meanwhile, in Berne, Switzerland, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the Association of Post Office and Telecommunications Operators from the Portuguese Speaking Countries and Territories (AICEP) signed a cooperation agreement that means $120,000 will be distributed among the five Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa over the next two years. The funding in the deal will be used to introduce a series of measures to modernize the postal operations of those countries, as well as to broaden some reforms that began last year. New software will be introduced to better track postal items, a database of mail collection and delivery points will be created, an electronic money transfer network will be set up, and continuous testing and training will be provided to help staff.

By: UN Press Release

Message from the Director General of the Universal Postal Union, Edouard Dayan on the occasion of the World Post Day, 9th October 2007 about the Universal postal service and its economic benefits

Each year on 9 October, the World Post Day serves as a reminder, for people the world over, of the social and economic importance of a public service dating back 2,000 years.

Based on a global network of more than 660,000 post offices and five million employees, it is a public service which continues to grow and to improve. Each year, postal services all over the world handle and deliver around 436 billion letter-post items, in their domestic and international services, and six billion parcels; not to mention the millions of money transfers performed through postal financial networks, which provide millions of people with ready access to financial services wherever they are, and most notably in unbanked areas.

We no longer need to be reminded of the importance of universal service, which is at the heart of the UPU mission. Providing high quality, affordable postal services in all territories brings a number of often unexpected benefits. If postal deliveries, or access to postal financial services, were to be restricted to the main urban centres, this would leave millions of people and businesses dangerously sidelined and unable to participate in the economic activity of their country.

World Post Day 2007 comes at a time when universal postal service is a hot political topic, and I would like to focus on the relevance of universal service from an economic perspective.

If we take account of all the positive effects of stable, lasting universal postal coverage, maintaining such coverage will be seen as a must. It is true that it comes at a price, but we must not overlook the ability of universal service to contribute to the economic efficiency of a country, and of the whole world, at a time when new technologies and the Internet are helping postal operators to improve existing services or develop new ones. Universal service too is adapting, thanks to the possibilities opened up by new technologies.

Recently, a seemingly mundane event, the release of a new book provided us with a striking example of what universal service means in the Internet age, with the worldwide distribution of the epic Harry Potter novel. Over 2.5 million copies of the book all ordered via the Internet were delivered by various postal services as soon as it was launched in July. This is thought to be the biggest ever postal delivery, on a single day, of identical articles ordered over the Internet.

Could this endeavor have been possible without universal postal coverage?

Providing a universal postal service across borders to all businesses and all citizens also helps to promote the integration of markets. In a highly competitive international environment, it provides companies and individuals with ready access to domestic markets. It is a key facilitator of trade between countries, or between regional economic blocs. Without postal services, commercial sites like Amazon or eBay, which benefit millions of people, might never have had the success they enjoy today.

Today, on World Post Day, I call upon all UPU member countries to renew their commitment to one of the founding principles of our organization and to continue developing and improving the efficiency of the universal postal service, for the benefit of all.

PAPU calls for more Rural Postal Services - September 13, 2007

Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) has urged postal service providers to concentrate on developing more operations in rural areas on the continent where there is little or no availability of advanced communication. The appeal was made yesterday in Blantyre by PAPU’s Assistant Secretary General Rhoda Masaviru during the official opening of the fourth African Support Committee to the organisation of the congress of Universal Postal Union (UPU) to be held in Kenya in 2008. Masaviru said the success of the congress in Nairobi would depend on the strategies to be adopted on the current challenges that range from revenue, terminal dues to mail dispatch. “We need to work together with speed to facilitate the harmonisation of Africa’s postal operations and this meeting must take stock of what we have been doing as a continent,” said Masaviru. In her opening remarks Minister of Information Patricia Kaliati urged all participating countries to ensure that the agenda of the UPU congress reflects training for postal personnel including maximising access to rural masses. “It would be very important as well to bring all issues affecting logistics in the postal industry under scrutiny, from road infrastructure to modes of transporting mail and even spreading out access of electronic mail services,” said Kaliati. She added that the current meeting must come up with factual and practical objectives ahead of the meeting in Kenya that should see Africa making progress in the sector for the next four years after 2008. Over 30 African countries that include Ghana, Nigeria Tanzania, Rwanda Botswana, Zimbabwe and Uganda are attending the meeting in Blantyre which is expected to wind up on September 14 2007.

By: Daily Times

African post services must diversify or die

Fri 17 Aug 2007, 8:09 GMT

African postal services must diversify into lucrative businesses like money transfers and direct marketing or lack of government support will force them out of operation, the head of Posta Uganda said on Friday.

National post organisations are suffering worldwide as volumes of traditional letters fall and more people use e-mails, the Internet and mobile telephones to communicate.

In Africa, many rural post offices are little more than dilapidated shacks. But often they are the only network capable of reaching the majority of the population who live in villages.

Some believe they could also be used to bring new electronic services to millions of customers.
"All African postal services must diversify into these new businesses or risk going out of business," Posta Uganda's managing director Alex Mulooki told Reuters in an interview.

"In many African countries, the postal service has been neglected or totally ill-funded. But there are reasons for hope, and lots of opportunities."

Mobile telephone use has boomed across the world's poorest continent in the last decade, bringing a new hunger for information and services that national postal organisations are uniquely placed to fulfill, Mulooki added.

The World Bank is working with Posta Uganda to help it eventually offer Internet services and training at many of its 300 post offices. These upgraded centres will also be used for its local and international money transfer business.
Ugandans working overseas are a key plank of the nation's economy, with estimated remittances doubling in the last seven years to around $500 million dollars annually.
"If we can catch just 20 percent of that crucial market, we can boost all the other business areas," Mulooki said.
Posta Uganda is also looking at using information on its large customer base for direct marketing, or bulk mail deliveries of advertising materials. It is also working with

the government and utility providers to update billing systems.

But it is calling for more support from the government, and says that is what is needed across Africa.

"The postal sector plays a very big role in every country's economy," Mulooki said. "But it is rarely given the support it needs. We want all stakeholders to

understand that."

By Daniel Wallis, Reuters

African Postal Companies Challenged To Focus On The Customer - July 16, 2007

African postal companies have been challenged to introduce customer-focused products to restore confidence. Information and communications assistant minister Koigi Wamwere says customer-focus will help state controlled postal corporations cope with competition that resulted from liberalization of the market. He was addressing the 26th session of the Pan African Postal Union at a Nairobi hotel. Koigi told African Postal companies to guard the expansive global postal networks and goodwill from the public by adding value to their services to avoid losing out to competitors. Postal Corporation of Kenya Postmaster General Fred Odhiambo called on the companies to take advantage of new technologies to offer financial remittance and parcel delivery services efficiently. The communications Commission of Kenya is undertaking a market study to determine the potential of postal services and the size of the market. The postal corporation of Kenya intends to use the results that are expected next month to regulate the sector.

By: Kenya Broadcasting Service

Africa gears up to host the next Universal Postal Congress .Congress agreement signed; Nairobi hosting a world round table on postal strategy Nairobi (Kenya), 17 July 2007

Edouard Dayan, Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and the Honourable Mutahi Kagwe, Kenya’s Minister for Information and Communication, today signed an agreement which marks another milestone in the preparations for the 24th Universal Postal Congress, to be hosted by the Kenyan Government and Posta Kenya in Nairobi from 13 August to 3 September 2008. The agreement defines the detailed requirements for Congress.

The Universal Postal Congress, held every four years, is the supreme authority of the Union, bringing together the UPU's 191 member countries. At Congress, plenipotentiaries from member countries consider high-level strategic and policy issues affecting the organization and the global postal sector it represents.

Speaking during his official visit to Kenya, Dayan declared that "the preparations for this first Congress in sub-Saharan Africa are on track. I thank the Kenyan Government and Post for their commitment. I believe this Congress will yield concrete results for the development of the postal sector around the world."

Minister Kagwe thanked the world postal family for the honour bestowed on Kenya to host this great event. “We are working very hard to fulfil the Congress requirements. We believe that hosting this Congress in Kenya will provide the country and the continent as a whole the opportunity to better reflect on the status of our postal business with a view to using it as a vehicle for national development.”

During his visit, Dayan will also be taking part in a regional round table, held on the occasion of the Council of Administration session of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU), which brings together 43 countries from across the African continent. The round table – the second in a series of seven being organized by the UPU in collaboration with different regional postal bodies – is designed to gather regional views on the 2009-2012 World Postal Strategy, to be adopted next year in Nairobi.

At Congress, member countries will be invited to sign up to this four-year roadmap, designed to pave the future direction of the postal sector as a whole. It is built around three key strands: combating social, financial and technological exclusion by promoting the interconnection of world postal networks; a regionalized development approach; and postal sector governance.

In making the improvement of postal services in Africa a priority, the UPU has already launched a regional development initiative in 2005. The Regional Development Plan for Africa sets out all the activities and projects capable of yielding concrete improvements and thus strengthening the African postal sector, in areas such as postal reform, quality of service or universal postal service provision.

For Edouard Dayan, "provided that it is efficient, the African postal sector is able to make a very significant contribution in terms of developing economies, combating poverty, and enabling the continent to benefit from the globalization of trade and to gain access to the information society".

As a member of the United Nations family, the UPU is committed to helping the UN achieve its Millennium Development Goals. The UPU is working to expand access to universal postal service and to position the postal sector as a facilitator in the development of other sectors.

Japan Post In Talks For Comprehensive Tie-Up With China Post - Report - July 10, 2007

Japan Post is in the final stages of talks to form a comprehensive business tie-up with China Post, the Nikkei business daily reported on Tuesday 10th July, 2007. Japan Post President Yoshifumi Nishikawa was scheduled to meet his China Post counterpart Liu Andong in Beijing the same day with the aim of signing a memorandum of understanding on the deal, the report said in its evening edition, citing sources familiar with the matter. If a deal is signed, it will be Japan Post's first comprehensive alliance with a major overseas postal service provider or shipping company. The public corporation is to be privatized in October, splitting into four different entities, including a postal delivery unit. As a first step under the planned alliance with China Post, Japan Post will increase the weight limit for its Express Mail Service -- an international delivery service for letters and packages -- by 10-20 kilograms from the current 30 kilograms, the Nikkei said. It will also expand the areas of next-day delivery from Shanghai at present, to Beijing and other major cities, the daily said. Japan Post is also considering acquiring a stake in a distribution subsidiary of China Post or creating a new joint venture for such operations, the report said.

By: Fobes

Postcomm Considers Five-Day Post Service - June 26, 2007

Royal Mail could be allowed to cut deliveries from six to five days a week following a review by the postal regulator into the need for a six-day service in a competitive mail market. The state-owned postal operator was allowed to end second daily deliveries three years ago to help restore profitability. Now Postcomm, as part of a sweeping review of the future of regulation, is considering reducing compulsory deliveries to every home and workplace to five days a week. The regulator is also sympathetic to a request from Royal Mail to limit this universal service obligation to stamped letters and packages. Sarah Chambers, Postcomm chief executive, told a conference in London on Monday that the current rules provided more of a “Rolls-Royce” universal service than elsewhere in Europe, where five days a week was standard. The requirement to deliver post to the front door was another Rolls-Royce aspect of the universal service obligation, she added. In other European countries, post was often put in mailboxes at the entrance to a property or block of flats. At the annual postal service conference organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs, Ms Chambers said that insisting on a Saturday delivery could lead to higher prices for other services. “If people see a rise in the cost of stamps to preserve the present universal service obligation, they may wish to look at the options. “There are other ways to deliver a service to customers in far-flung areas than insisting on a six-day-a-week service.” Business users warned Friday and Saturday deliveries were important for direct marketing. “If you want to take it down to five, it doesn’t have to be Saturday you lose,” said Alan Halfacre, chairman of the Mail Users Association.

By: The Financial Times

Dutch Parliament Ends TNT's Mail Monopoly - June 25, 2007

The Dutch parliament passed the country's new postal law on Tuesday, scrapping the remaining monopoly of mail company TNT NV. The law is due to take effect from January 2008 but includes an "emergency break" procedure to delay it if the government determines that TNT is hindered from effectively competing abroad, particularly in Germany. TNT currently has a monopoly on letters up to 50 grams -- around half of the 2 billion euro ($2.7 billion) Dutch postal market.

By: Reuters

Itella To Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions By 10 Per Cent By 2012 - June 15, 2007

The national postal operators of Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway and Malta are committed to reducing their carbon dioxide emissions by 10 per cent in the next five years. Greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. carbon dioxide, represent 70 per cent of postal operatorsʼ total environmental impact. Half of these CO2 emissions result from the use of road transport. PostEurop, the association of European public postal operators, coordinates the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programme. Itella, Finlandʼs largest transport company, plays a major role in the development of pro-environmental logistics. The key goal of Itellaʼs environmental strategy is to reduce vehicle carbon dioxide emissions caused by the use of fossil traffic fuels. Methods of reducing fuel consumption include efficient route planning, combining transports, and training in ecological driving methods. Alternative fuels tested in use include electricity, natural gas and biodiesel. Energy consumption, recycling and waste management will also be enhanced in buildings while new environment-friendly services are developed, for instance in electronic communications. Itella has had excellent experiences of using biodiesel in test vehicles. As the first Finnish transport company to do so, Itella began the related trials in January 2007. The share of biodiesel has been increased from 10 per cent to 80 percent. Starting next week Itella will experiment with 100 per cent biodiesel. According to research results the production and use of biodiesel causes up to 40 per cent less CO2 emissions than ordinary fuel. Itellaʼs fleet in Finland comprises over 5,500 vehicles, covering around 100 million kilometres per year. In 2006, Itellaʼs carbon dioxide emissions totalled 98,000 tonnes in Finland, i.e. some 0.2 per cent of the CO2 emissions of the entire country, resulting from the use of fossil fuels in vehicles and the production of power and heat purchased for use on premises. On average, the delivery of one letter from sender to recipient produces 36 grammes of carbon dioxide, whereas an ordinary passenger car emits the same amount on a 200-metre journey.

By: Italia Press Release

Royal Mail Trials Electric Vehicles - June 14, 2007

Smith Electric Vehicles has won its first order from the Royal Mail - one of each of the Edison and Newton delivery vehicles. The vehicles will be trialled in London, in parcel and post distribution operations. Edison is a sub-3.5t electric van, built using the Ford Transit shell. Newton is sold in 7.5t and 9t configurations. Both vehicles have restricted top speeds of up to 50mph and are capable of covering 150 miles on one battery charge. Royal Mail has a fleet of more than 33,000 delivery vehicles operating across the UK, including approximately 10,700 3.5t vans and 2,500 7.5 tonners. The manufacturer is installing extra electric vehicle production capacity at Vigo Centre, its 250,000sq ft assembly facility in Tyne & Wear, UK. Darren Kell, chief executive of Smith's parent company Tanfield, said: "The adoption of the Low Emission Zone in London and expected road pricing in 10 other urban conurbations across the UK will significantly increase the addressable market for electric vehicles. To this end, we are now installing additional production capability at a much faster rate than we had previously planned."

By: Royal Mail Press Release

UK To Close 2,500 Post Offices - May 18, 2007

About 2,500 post offices - a fifth of those left in the UK - are to close by 2009, the government has confirmed. Trade Secretary Alistair Darling said he wanted to guarantee "reasonable access" throughout the country but the current network was "unsustainable". He said 4m fewer customers were using post offices every week than two years ago and they were losing £4m a week. Opposition parties say further closures will devastate local communities, particularly in rural areas. More than 4,000 post offices have shut in the past eight years. The next round of closures, with £1.7bn of investment from the government, would contribute to a sustainable network, Mr. Darling told MPs. The network has been affected by new technology and "changing lifestyles", he said. Pension and child benefits can now be paid directly into bank accounts while TV licences, driving licences, passports and tax disks are now being supplied online and through other retailers. However, Mr. Darling said the loss of that business was off-set by its reach into other areas. Post offices were the largest provider of foreign currency and the third largest provider of travel insurance, while its saver accounts have over £1.8bn in deposits. He also announced that broadband will soon be offered by post offices in a deal with BT. "Although the proposals I'm confirming today will lead to the closure of about 2,500 branches, the remaining post office network will still be larger than all the UK's banks and building societies put together. "Because we want to maintain a national network, we're putting in place rules that will provide for reasonable access across the whole of the country. There have been 2,500 responses from pressure groups and individuals since the consultation process was ordered in December last year.

By: BBC News

Nigeria: Govt. Hires Dutch Firm to Manage NIPOST - May 17, 2007

The Federal Government has engaged the services of Nethpost Consult of The Netherlands to reposition Nigeria Postal Service for profitability and viability over the next two years. Postmaster-General of the Federation, Malam Ibrahim Mori Baba whose address was read by Mr. Enoch Ade Ogun at the NIPOST South Eastern zonal awards hosted by the Abia State postal territory yesterday, explained that with the development, the organization would no longer tolerate indolence and frivolity on the part of staff. According to him, there is therefore the need for every staff to redouble his/her efforts in making NIPOST dream a reality and implored them to rise up to the challenges. He noted that the reform policies of the Federal Government of divesting from public corporations, including NIPOST, has made it imperative for the organization to look inwards for survival, adding that the NIPOST management in conjunction with consultants engaged by the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), has painstakingly commenced the systematic restructuring of the services of the organization in order to reposition it towards realizing its full potentials. Baba also observed that the exit of some of the committed NIPOST staff as a result of the recent rightsizing exercise of the Federal Government was one of the sacrifices the workers had to make for a better future and assured those left in the organization to manage the situation at hand in the interest of the customers. The Postmaster-General was happy that NIPOST has achieved more than 60% of its revenue target, just as the quality of service has greatly improved and sustained, adding however that in spite of the achievements, there were still room for improvement. "We are still far away from our target and dreams as an organization. NIPOST must be positioned to become profitable," he observed. He said that the objective of the award was to enhance productivity and promote corporate excellence through appropriate reward system for hardworking staff and commended the award winners for their efforts in making the organization to excel. Those who won the awards were Erugo Chijioke of Abia Territory as best performer, Onaga Nkiru of Enugu Territory as best counter, Paul Emereole as best security man, V.C. Okongwu as best driver and J.O.Umeh as the most outstanding staff in the zone.

By: The Vanguard

UPU: Affordable High-Speed Internet - A Must For Developing Countries - May 15, 2007

More reliable telecommunications systems offering reasonably priced services in developing countries: this is what the Universal Postal Union needs to step up its efforts to extend its postal financial network throughout the world. As a founding partner of the International Telecommunication Union’s “Connect the World” initiative, and with over 660,000 post offices around the world, the UPU is committed to developing its world financial network with a view to improving access to secure and reliable electronic money transfer services, which will be of particular benefit to migrant workers, low-income families and rural populations with no access to banking services. This priority also forms part of the regional development plans drawn up by the UPU. “Millions of people need reliable electronic money transfer services. The postal network offers an ideal means of bringing these services within the reach of populations, and our project offers a concrete solution to the challenges associated with migrants’ international money transfers, and with poverty reduction,” says Edouard Dayan, Director General of the UPU. However, the lack of high-speed Internet access in many developing countries could hold back the rapid expansion of this international postal financial network. “In Africa especially, telecommunications systems are limited, and where they exist, services are offered at exorbitant rates,” says Henri Biadala, an expert from the French Post, who recently led a UPU-sponsored project to launch electronic money transfers between Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Togo. In this case, the five countries agreed to offer the service together by pooling their operations at a call centre which manages an IP telephone network. This network offers free, secure communications and facilitates interaction between the respective Posts. Forming part of a region-wide initiative, the so-called Bamako model, involving the creation of exchange corridors between neighboring countries, could be rolled out to 20 or so other African countries that wish to exchange money transfers. “The problem is that everyone wants to exchange, but not everyone is able to,” explains Biadala. “We must find a solution that guarantees the quality and sustainability of the networks.” Under the UPU’s leadership, an integrated international network is being set up progressively by developing regional exchanges, especially in Africa, in Asia and the Arab countries. Latin America is also being targeted. Around 50 countries are currently using the International Financial System (IFS) application, the backbone of the UPU international financial network, developed by the Postal Technology Centre in Berne. India, China (People's Rep.) and Saudi Arabia are the latest large countries to have adopted IFS as a means of facilitating money exchanges for their populations. The UPU Director General and ITU Secretary General recently decided that the two organizations should work more closely together. A conference on the information society, organized by the UPU International Bureau in conjunction with the ITU, will be taking place at UPU headquarters in Berne on 8 June.

By: UPU Press Release

Irish Postal Network Faces Collapse - May 14, 2007

Rural leaders were warned yesterday that the post office network could collapse if there is a further fall in the volume of social welfare payments they transact. Pat McCann of the Irish Postmasters Union told the Irish Rural Link conference in Cavan that social welfare transactions represent the single biggest customer for these post offices. But, he said, the Department of Social and Family Affairs is pursuing an agenda that will see more and more social welfare recipients having to access their payments at a bank rather than at the post office. “The prospect for many offices is not good but it is salvageable if the public use its influence with those in power and encourage their local communities to use the post office regularly,” he said. Mr. McCann, a postmaster at Fairymount in Co Roscommon, said there is a mistaken belief that the postmaster or postmistress is a paid official of An Post. The reality is that they get paid solely on the basis of every transaction conducted in the post office. The less customers, the less income they have. Yet, all the overheads remain the same. “Therefore, it is vitally important for the local community to appreciate that if they fail to use their post office regularly, it will inevitably close, let alone make a living,” he said. According to the Irish Postmasters Union the earnings of some of its members are as low as €8,000 per year, with an average yearly income of €16,000, working an average 50-hour week.

By: The Irish Examiner

Royal Mail Heading For First National Strike In A Decade - May 14, 2007

Britain is heading for its first national postal strike in more than a decade after pay talks broke down between Royal Mail and its unions. The Communications Workers Union announced yesterday that a ballot for industrial action would go ahead after it formally rejected a 2.5 per cent pay offer from Royal Mail linked to further efficiency gains. The union fears that Royal Mail is planning up to 40,000 job losses. The CWU will serve notice of its intention to ballot its 130,000 members in Royal Mail on Tuesday and despatch ballot papers a week later. The result is due to be announced on 7 June. The last national postal strike was in 1996. Royal Mail executives said the union's pay claim was "clearly madness and not in our view justified in any way". The company said that the claim for a 27 per cent increase coupled with a reduction in the working week would cost it £1bn a year at a time when its profits had shrunk to just £22m for the first six months and the UK mail market was declining by 2.3 per cent a year. Royal Mail also claimed that its staff were paid 35 per cent more than those working for rival postal companies, if pension benefits were taken into account, while productivity within the state-owned organisation was 40 per cent lower than that of its competitors. The company said it did not believe the pay claim would be supported by customers or taxpayers. "The union must also realise that the consequences of meeting its demands would be hugely negative for Royal Mail's competitiveness and would result in further large job losses as well as the loss of vital contracts and revenue." Royal Mail said that the union had failed to grasp the commercial reality that by the end of this year, 20 per cent of all bulk letter business would be handled by competitors who were much more efficient and productive. The CWU said that Royal Mail's latest business plan, of which the pay offer forms a part, was "short-sighted and defeatist". It said the company's "full and final offer" contained either a 2.5 per cent pay rise or an unconsolidated one-off lump sum payment of £600 but not both. It also said that the offer was hemmed in with conditions including the scrapping of night shifts at delivery offices, later start times and reduced weekend operations. Dave Ward, the union's deputy general secretary for the postal service, said Royal Mail's business plan amounted to "a cost-cutting frenzy".

By: The Business Editor

UPU POC Approves e-Services Strategy - May 7, 2007

The world's postal operators will further integrate e-services into their strategies to grow their core business and develop new opportunities for themselves and their customers. The UPU's Postal Operations Council (POC), which concluded its 2007 session today at UPU headquarters in Berne, approved an e-services strategy developed by the Electronic Products and Services Group, as well as a resolution urging other POC groups to integrate e-services into their future work. The POC deals with the operational, economic and commercial aspects of the international postal service. Over the annual three-week session, attended by some 1,000 delegates from more than 100 countries, the role of e-services and products in helping Posts grow their core business and develop new services and revenue streams featured prominently in the discussions of several POC groups and committees, including those dealing with postal security, markets, strategic planning, direct mail and parcels. The approved UPU e-strategy will be included in the Nairobi Postal Strategy, a four-year roadmap for the world's postal operators and regulators to be adopted at the 2008 Universal Postal Congress in Nairobi, Kenya. The POC also approved a report on e-shopping, which shows how postal operators can play a key role in an area that is growing rapidly. Furthermore, postal operators gave a nudge to the ".post" project. The POC approved a resolution instructing the International Bureau to set up a voluntary fund to help it finance the commercialization of ".post" and to complete negotiations with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which gave the top-level domain name to the UPU. The ".post" project aims to secure the postal industry's presence and development on the Internet.

By: UPU Press Release

Global Fight To Defend Postal Services - April 30, 2007

Postal unions across the world face very similar challenges and they are ready to fight to defend the postal service. That was the clear message from UNI Postal global union’s world conference in Athens in a broad ranging debate on a globalising and liberalising postal market. “We are determined and we are all together in a global trade union family,” said UNI Postal President Rolf Büttner, summing up the debate. “We have to stick in there and fight liberalisation and privatisation.” Reporting on new pressures on jobs in the Royal Mail in the de-regulated UK, Brian Scott of Amicus told delegates that the “people who are benefiting from liberalisation are the large companies who skim the cream and cherry pick”. A ten-year campaign by US postal unions has helped retain a publicly owned postal system with a universal postal service, reported Jim Sauber from NALC USA. The US Postal System is the second largest employer in the United States and recent legislation has been broadly acceptable to postal workers and their unions. Moves to experiment with de-regulation were seen off - partly by massive email protests by postal members among the union’s 100,000 e-activists. “We are very concerned at what is happening in Europe - if Europe goes down the road of total de-regulation then this is a battle we will have to fight again,” said Jim. “We didn't’t get everything in the final Bill but it should be good for postal service and the postal unions,” said John Hegarty from NPMHU USA. The unions are ready to go back to lobbying Congress over moves to outsource postal processing work to outside, private companies. The CUPW in Canada has also been lobbying hard in recent years. Building links with customers and communities has been an important part in that effort, said Deborah Bourke. Recent moves by Canada Post to cut rural mail deliveries had to be amended after a revolt by a Canadian public that supports public services but there is still pressure for de-regulation. The world’s postal system was a 19th century edition of globalisation, but one that brought people real benefits in communication, said researcher Dr Dieter Plehwe, from the Wissenschaft Zentrum Berlin. Now we face cross border competition between what were national operators, new rules for post written by and for the express companies and four multinational companies forging a global oligarchy - FedEx and UPS in the United States and Deutsche Post World Net and TPG in Europe. For unions the changes will mean the end of single company or postal operator union as many companies move into the market and unions will have to diversify. Up to 60,000 postal jobs could go in France by 2012 if total de-regulation goes ahead in Europe, said the CGT-PTT’s Bernard Dupin. “This new offensive is dangerous because it is workers and customers who will foot the bill. We insist on the right of communication for all citizens and that will only be achieved if this directive is withdrawn.” Anneke Stevens reported on the Dutch postal union’s fight against total de-regulation. 9,000 jobs have gone in the last five years and 7,500 more could go. There is also growing competition between the German and the Dutch postal operators with Deutsche Post hiring people on low pay (sometimes below the minimum wage) and undermining collective agreements. The result has been a pay freeze for Dutch postal workers. “We are in the eye of the cyclone,” said Michel Meyer, from Belgium’s CGSP-Poste, with competition coming from the large postal operators in France, Germany and the Netherlands. The world’s experience so far of de-regulated postal markets is that they do not increase quality or lower prices (with the biggest companies generally benefiting), said Claus Zanker from Input Consulting, Stuttgart. “Apart from ideological motives there is no justification for full market opening.” He said the EU plan to totally de-regulate left open the question of how a universal postal system will be supported. The formula was untested and the impact on the postal sector unclear. “The best solution is to retain a protected sector for the postal operators.” Where markets have been completely de-regulated genuine competition has not been created and jobs have gone in large numbers. In Sweden with de-regulation 25% of post offices closed and postal jobs collapsed from 70,000 to 38,000. In New Zealand the same process saw 43% of jobs disappear. In Italy jobs have fallen from 220,000 to 150,000 while at Deutsche Post under even partial liberalisation have more than halved - from 306,000 to 150,000. The new operators have created far fewer jobs and with worse conditions - often casual and precarious. “So we will end up with wage dumping and a downward spiral,” he said.

By: UNI Press Release

Royal Mail & Sony DADC Unite To Fuse Traditional Post With Digital Media - April 30, 2007

Royal Mail is fighting back against increased competition in the advertising market by launching an innovative concept that fuses traditional post and digital media in partnership with Sony DADC. The innovation enables companies to personalise content-rich and interactive CDs to an individual’s specific needs and interests by inscribing it with a unique code. This means that a company can include videos and information for a wide range of customers but program it so that content is tailored to individual recipients - making it entirely personal and relevant. The solution, Personalised Integrated Media, enables customers to view the CD on their PC and deal direct with the business, for example by buying goods or services, at the click of the mouse. And for advertisers, the inscription enables them to monitor customer engagement with the CD and determine its impact. Alex Batchelor, Royal Mail’s Marketing Director, said: "The strength of direct mail has always been that it is personal and delivered through the letterbox. Royal Mail’s collaboration with Sony DADC now means that advertisers can take personalisation one step further by combining traditional post with new technology. "The advertising marketplace is increasingly competitive with the proliferation of TV channels and increases in online and e-mail activities and it is important that Royal Mail innovates the ways in which businesses can use the post to communicate to their customers," He added: "This revolutionary approach now means advertising through the post isn’t just great for driving sales and generating responses, but has greater scope for building brands." The Sony DADC technology, Postscribed ID™, enables companies to add depth and media richness to the brand experience at the same cost of a traditional mailing pack; from 360 degree tours of the product to promotional videos or TV advertisements. The inscription enables precise measurability at all stages of the campaign, monitoring which customers have viewed the Disc, when they engaged (date and time), how often, whether they completed the customer journey or at what stage they fell out. Christian Dankl, responsible for Business Development at Sony DADC: "Our unique and patented Postscribed ID™ technology, which is readable by all PCs and Macs, delivers rich, sophisticated interactivity with a clearly defined return path. This makes direct mail more accountable and measurable than ever before meaning the opportunity for marketers is enormous."

By: Royal Mail Press Release

Angola: Postal Service to Invest USD 24Mn in Its Modernisation - April 26, 2007

The Angolan National Post and Telecommunications Firm will invest USD 24 million until the year 2012, in the rehabilitation and modernisation of about 160 of its centres, throughout the country. The information was given to Angop over the last weekend, in Dondo, northern Kwanza Norte Province, by the company's administrator for the technical area, José Manuel de Almeida, who also informed that this investment is part of the institution's steering plan, being implemented since 2004, aimed at improving their service to the public. Under this plan, he said, nine provincial centres have already been rehabilitated and equipped, including the setting up of Internet services. Two other centres are to be inaugurated, namely in Malanje and Huambo provinces. [AllAfrica.com.]José de Almeida revealed that the plan includes the signing of contracts with the Savings and Credit (BPC) bank, turned to the opening of counters to attend pensioners in areas that do not have banks and that depend on the postal and telecommunications service.

By: All Africa.com

Israel Post Aims to Sell Financial Services in Q3 - April 26, 2007

As the privatization of Israel Post Company Ltd. gathers steam, the company plans to begin offering financial services, and market mutual, provident and pension funds at post offices. Israel Post also wants to begin selling non-life insurance, such as compulsory vehicle insurance and home insurance, by the third quarter of this year. Israel Post predicts that the ministers of finance and communications will sign the permit allowing it to provide financial services by the end of June, so that it will be able to begin selling financial products during the fourth quarter. However, because Israel Post cannot provide financial advice for the sale of these products, and lacks a permit to provide it, it will only serve as a sales and clearing platform.

By: Globes Online

Swiss Post Among Fastest in International Comparison - April 26, 2007

Swiss Post's international mail service remains one of the best in terms of performance. Independent measurements show that Swiss Post yet again figured among the fastest postal companies in Europe in 2006. Priority letters from Europe to Switzerland and vice versa took an average 2.0 days to reach their destination. Delivery times are thus lower than those of the European average as a whole. In 2006, Swiss Post was again able to improve somewhat on the already high quality of its international letter-post service. In tests conducted by the International Post Corporation (IPC), the company once again achieved a relatively high ranking, thus living up to its reputation as one of the fastest and most reliable postal operators in Europe. Priority letters mailed from Europe to Switzerland in 2006 took two days on average to reach their destination. In 2005, the average delivery time was 2.1 days. Generally, priority mail from Switzerland to other European destinations also reached the intended recipient within only two days of posting. Swiss Post International (SPI), the international arm of Swiss Post, thus beat the average delivery time for all the countries surveyed of 2.1 days. 29 European nations participate in the IPC's international measurement system, known as the UNEX study. The IPC determines international delivery times by introducing around 350,000 test letters to international mail flows. The involvement of external, independent measurement contractors guarantees the validity of the results. Last year's delivery times for Switzerland were published in February 2007. Here too, Swiss Post received top marks: 98 out of 100 letters were delivered on time (A mail: 98.0%; B mail: 98.3%). Delivery times for parcels were of an equally high standard (PostPac Priority: 97.3%, PostPac Economy: 97.6%).

By: Swiss Post Press Release

£400m Royal Mail Contract Up for Grabs - April 26, 2007

The job of supplying stamps to the Royal Mail is up for grabs as part of a four-year, £400m printing services outsourcing contract. Incumbent stamp suppliers De La Rue, Walsall Security Printers, and Dutch firm Enschede were all expected to submit bids ahead of yesterday's deadline. The contract tender is part of Royal Mail's attempts to rationalise its supplier base and reduce the £80m it spends each year on labels, envelopes, leaflets, posters and stamps for internal use and for sale to the public. It wants to appoint up to three large suppliers to manage all its print needs, including warehousing. These companies would then subcontract work to individual suppliers, like De La Rue or Walsall. A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Instead of managing 70 contracts, we want to get it down to no more than three. There's also the potential of savings, not least from bulk acquisition. This is about getting all our print management needs in a more efficient way."

By: The Telegraph

Up To 100 Post Offices Could Face Closure As An Post Reviews Network - April 27, 2007

As many as 100 post offices across the country could close as part of An Post’s plans to review its branch network, (Chief Executive of An Post, Donal Connell pictured). Chief executive Donal Connell confirmed that a review of all its offices will begin this year. “We have 1,533 post office and agencies nationwide and that is the higher number of branches per capita in Europe. We need to determine the optimum configuration for this network for the future, bearing nature of the community we serve,” he said at the launch of the company’s annual report. Mr. Connell said it was not possible to give an absolute figure on how many post offices would close but admitted that if Ireland moved to the European average, it would result in 100 branches closing. Any closures arising from the review of the branch network are likely to be in rural locations. An Post’s 2006 annual report reveals the company made a pre-tax profit of €96.5 million up from €40.9m in 2005. The jump in profits is mainly the result of the €94m gain on the sale of the former SDS depot on the Naas Road. At operating level, which strips out the gains from exceptional items, An Post made a profit of €14.6m compared to a profit of €16.1m in 2005. Included in the accounts is a €20m charge related to a deferred pay rise for its workers. Turnover for the year was up strongly from €752m to €818.8m. Mr. Connell said this was the result of an increase in the volume of mail sent (up 4%), price rises and a rise in the number of people using its money transfer system. Mr. Connell, who was appointed last August, said it would take three years before An Post hit the next day delivery target of 94%. The last survey of postal service by the industry regulator ComReg found that only 74% was delivered the next day. The chief executive said the failure to hit the 94% level was due to a number of factors including An Post work practices. The annual report also shows that Mr. Connell was paid €191,000 for the four months he was with An Post last year.

By: The Irish Examiner

UK Postal Union Demands 27% Pay Rise And Shorter Working Hours- March 21, 2007

Royal Mail is facing union demands for a 27 per cent pay rise that the post group claims will cost an extra £1 billion a year, The Times has learnt. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has asked for the minimum payment of its members to be brought into line with average basic pay in the UK. The main postal union is also demanding that its members work a 35-hour week, rather than the existing 40 hours. The CWU says that postal workers, who earn a minimum of £311 per week, should be able to benefit from investment and improvements expected in the business over the next few years. In a letter to Royal Mail, Dave Ward, the CWU deputy general secretary, said: “Given the proposed scale of change within the company, we require a pay settlement that achieves UK average basic pay for OPGs [outdoor postal grades].

This was set at £395 per week in 2006 and we are undertaking research to establish whether the figure has subsequently increased.” The CWU says that the rise could be phased in, although Royal Mail said that the union had called for the increase to be immediate. Mr. Ward said: “The business has a five-year plan for success and that must include raising the value and status of postal workers’ jobs in that timescale.” The postal organisation, which has a pension deficit of £6.6 billion and recently reported a plunge in its profits, says that it cannot afford such a rise. A spokesman said: “This pay claim will cost us £1 billion at a time when we are facing full competition and the cost of servicing our pension deficit is pushing our profits down 86 per cent.” The group maintains that it already pays better rates than its competitors. The pay claim comes as Royal Mail and the CWU are locked in difficult negotiations over the closure of the final-salary pension scheme to new entrants and an incentive programme that the company is calling phantom shares. The call to reduce hours is linked to the expectation that extra investment in new equipment will mean more automa-tion. More than £1 billion has been set aside for new investment out of a £3.9 billion rescue package from the Government that was agreed last month. The CWU has also thrown down the gauntlet over cost savings, telling Royal Mail that it will not cooperate unless future savings are shared out. Additionally, it wants improved annual leave. When the CWU last held out for a large pay increase four years ago, it led to a long fight between Allan Leighton, chairman of the group, and the union. Mr. Leighton incensed the union by writing directly to workers to urge them to vote against strike action, which, by a narrow margin, they did. The pay talks are at an early stage, but the present one-year pay deal runs out next month.

State to Sell 49 percent of Israel Post Company - March 22, 2007

The privatization of the postal service has taken a further step forward. Sources inform 'Globes' that under a proposal drawn up by Government Companies Director Eyal Gabbai, the state will sell up to 49% of Israel Post Company through a share offering to be held on the TASE by May 31. The proposal, which was drawn up by the Government Companies Authority's privatization unit, was submitted for review at the beginning of the week to the following government authorities for their consideration, ahead of a meeting of the cabinet privatization select committee: The Ministry of Communications, Attorney General Menahem (Meni) Mazuz, the Ministry of Finance Budget Department and Accountant General, and the General Security Service (GSS).

By: Globes Online

Criticism to Early Postal Market Opening In Germany - March 22, 2007

German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck Wednesday criticized plans to open the country's postal market Jan. 1 ahead of other European countries, calling for a level playing field in Europe. "Why should we in Germany open up the mail market on Jan. 1 while many other European countries...don't give up this monopoly," Steinbrueck said in a speech at the Forum Economy conference organized by the Karl-Schiller-Foundation. Steinbrueck pointed to France, Italy, Greece and Portugal as not being ready to open their postal markets Jan. 1. If other countries shield their markets against competition, this would open the door for unfair price dumping, Steinbrueck said. "In my understanding, this has nothing to do with fair competition and a social market economy," he said. Klaus Zumwinkel, chief executive of logistics and mail company Deutsche Post World Net AG (DPW.XE), said Tuesday there could be delays opening up the postal market in the European Union.

By: Dow Jones newswire

Japan Post Plans To Deliver Trust Sales Boost
By: Financial Times, March 13, 2007

Japan Post, the world's biggest financial institution and the traditional safe haven for the country's millions of highly conservative savers, has outlined ambitious plans to double sales of higher-risk investment trusts. The company's announcement highlights the key role it plays in changing households from savers - who put their money in conventional bank or post office accounts, where it earns a tiny rate of interest - to fully fledged investors, who put money into securities to win a higher return. As Japan Post customers shift more of their money from post office accounts and into investment trusts, they are also likely to contribute to the continuing large flow of money out of the yen and into other currencies. This is because many investment trusts put money into foreign as well as Japanese assets. This large outflow has been a big driving pushing down the yen in recent years, enabling the carry trade to prosper.

The Expansion of Japan Post's investment trust business ties in with the reformist political legacy of Junichiro Koizumi, Japanese prime minister until last year. Mr. Koizumi was determined to reduce the share of the economy controlled by the public sector. The launch of the investment trusts has the same purpose as the planned privatization of Japan Post, which is due in October. Both will switch assets away from the inefficient public sector to the wealth-generating private sector. This is because money resting in Japan Post's conventional savings products is primarily used to buy bonds issued by the Japanese government and itsvarious agencies. By boosting sales of investment trusts and pocketing the fees from selling them, Japan Post hopesto increase profitability ata time when it wants to establish viable financial independence ahead of privatization. The company plans to double its sales target of investment trusts to Y1,100bn ($9.3bn) in the year to March 2008, after reaching its annual 2006-7 target of Y540bn a month early in February, a spokesman told the Financial Times. Japan Post will also increase the number of post offices selling investment trusts by about 400 to 1,155, although this is still a fraction of the more than 20,000 branches in its network. From June, the company will add two more investment trusts to its current line-up of nine, said the spokesman. One will concentrate on high-dividend shares, and the other will change its asset mix as the investor ages. Japan Post launched investment trusts in October 2005, with offerings from Nomura, Daiwa and Goldman Sachs that invested in bonds, equities and property.

Chirac Gets Deal To Safeguard Universal Post Services
By: Wall Street Journal, March 12, 2007

French President Jacques Chirac said Friday that he had won a guarantee to continue financing universal postal service. Speaking at the European Union summit in Brussels, Chirac said the move would allow France to "respect our social model" and dilute the impact of calls for further liberalization of the E.U.'s post offices. The commission wants to open postal markets to unrestricted competition, forcing E.U. nations to withdraw state support for national postal services.

Proposals put forward by the commission would have forced France to unwind its unlimited guarantee for all liabilities held by La Poste, which makes the company a low-risk borrower. The country's 17,000 post offices would also have had to share the market with global mail carriers like TNT and Deutsche Post AG (DPW.XE), as well as express carriers like United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) and FedEx Corp. (FDX). France was one of the fiercest critics of the reforms, arguing the moves would crush La Poste and threaten services in small towns. Competitors would cherry pick the most profitable businesses, such as city deliveries, and neglect rural regions, it said. The commission's current proposal calls for prying opening the E.U. postal market by 2009. While the E.U. heads of state and government Friday gave general backing to the commission's plan, they shied away from endorsing the 2009 timeframe and kept open a wide window for France to keep protecting La Poste's monopoly. The leaders called for "further liberalization of the postal markets, while ensuring the financing of an efficient universal service."

Royal Mail Seeks New Price Deal To Beat TNT
By: The Observer-UK , March 5, 2007

The UK postal regulator is expected to meet Royal Mail executives in the coming weeks to discuss ways of easing the state-owned group's financial situation. Interim profits have slumped to £22m from over £100m. Officials from regulator PostComm will examine whether arrangements that allow rival distributors such as TNT and DHL to compete for bulk mail business should be altered to give Royal Mail more pricing flexibility. Currently, licensed operators who carry bulk mail from companies such as banks, utilities and government are allowed to use Royal Mail's local delivery network for a charge of 13p an item - known as the access price.

Empost Opens Specialized Service Department Offering Packing And Removal Solutions
By: Albawaba, March 5, 2007

Empost, UAE’s National Courier Company, has expanded its wide range of value-added services by opening the Cargo and Logistics Removals Department that will specialize in moving households, office relocations, transporting exhibition equipment and handling of personal effects. The company’s flexibility, comprehensive knowledge, expertise and its extensive transport network will leverage its comprehensive knowledge in the industry to meet the increasing local and international demands for packing and removal services.

“The setting up of the Cargo and Logistics Removals department is in keeping with Empost’s strategy to constantly introduce services that are in line with ever growing customer requirements. The department boasts of an internationally qualified, handpicked team of experts who bring to the specialized industry an exquisite service and a commitment to quality. To this dedicated staff, there is no load too big, package too small or schedule too demanding. Through such innovation and excellence in service, Empost Cargo and Logistics will revolve to become the best logistics provider in the region,” said Sultan Al Midfa, CEO, Empost. "The amount is given to the auditor general every month. And then the central government lends to the state governments at 9 per cent interest for their monthly expenses," she said. But with falling interest rates, the state governments tend to go for loans from banks than from central government, the official said. The opening up of mutual funds and higher rate of returns from banks has started to affect the post office savings schemes, the official said. "People are withdrawing from our Kisan Vikas Patra and National Savings Certificate because they find the returns from mutual funds and banks attractive than ours," the official said.

Ghana Post Launches Same Day Delivery
By: Graphic Ghana, February 23, 2007

Ghana Postal Company Ltd yesterday launched its same day delivery services for Accra, Tema and six regional capitals as a means of further improving its services to the public. Under the service, the company’s Expedited Mail Service (EMS) will carry out daily deliveries of items within Accra , Tema, Cape Coast, Takoradi, Ho, Koforidua, Kumasi and Tamale on the day of receiving the courier items by a certain time of the day. For example, any item received between 7a.m. and 2p.m. for Accra and Tema and their environs will be delivered on the same day. Similarly, EMS would deliver items meant for Cape Coast, Takoradi, Kumasi, Ho, Koforidua and Tamale from Accra on the same day if they are handed in between 7a.m. and 10p.m. on that day.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr Kofi Dua Adonteng, said Ghana Post also had in place a track and trace system which enabled customers’ items to be traced in case they were misplaced, since the system reinforced the security and reliability of items through EMS. “With the new delivery schedules we are introducing, our customers can now go to sleep with the hope that their items are safe and secured and will be delivered same day to beat deadlines,” he said. He told customers of Ghana Post that the company was committed to serving them better. “We will continue to explore more ways and means of doing just that. We are taking EMS to new heights and there will be no return.”, he promised.

More Than 100 Post Offices to be Closed in Hungary
By: Caboodle News, February 20, 2007

The Hungarian Postal Service (Magyar Posta Zrt.) is planning to close 103 post offices before the end of the year, and sell another 1,000 in 2008, writes fn.hu, based on a report in business daily Napi Gazdaság. Starting today, 38 existing post offices will be closed, and another 65 will be shuttered on March 1. Services will be cut where there are currently more post offices operated than specified by law. In Budapest, for example, there are 169 post offices, but only 86 are legally required. Magyar Posta Assistant CEO László Szivi said that offices will also be closed where the volume of traffic does not justify their existence. With the retreat of the company, a full liberalization of postal services can be expected by 2009. There are nearly 100 companies in Hungary registered to perform postal services, including several global firms, many of which are believed to be planning a further expansion of their operations once liberalization occurs.

An Post Review Likely to Bring Closures
By: The Irish Times, February 20, 2007

An Post and the Irish Postmaster's Union (IPU) are engaged in a review of the 1,275 contracted post offices in a move that is likely to see some closed. The review is examining the post office network and pay of postmasters and other issues. John Kane of the IPU, which represents postmasters contracted to An Post, said many of the existing post offices were not economically viable at the current rates being paid by the company. An Post contracts postmasters to provide postal services outside its main office network. The review is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month and is likely to result in a number of post offices closing. According to Mr. Kane roughly 450 postmasters have ceased trading since 2001, and he added that part of the network may need to have a public service obligation element that reflected the "social impact of the loss of a post office" to a rural area. An Post has 200 contracted postal agents who provide social welfare payments and stamp sales in many areas where a post office has closed. The company has said that Ireland, despite the steady stream of closures in recent years, has by far the highest level of post offices per capita anywhere in Europe.

Man Arrested Over UK Letter Bombs
By: CNN, February 19, 2007

British authorities early Monday 19th January arrested a suspect in connection with a series of parcel bombings across Britain that injured several people in recent weeks, police told CNN. The man was held in Cambridge, eastern England, in connection with seven attacks which targeted businesses linked to forensic science laboratories and traffic enforcement. Forensic officers are now examining a house in the city -- a search expected to last several days. Police said they couldn't guarantee there were not more devices in the postal system and have urged members of the public to be vigilant. Six people were hurt in the last attack on February 7 at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea, Wales, while at least nine people have been injured in total. Police said the bombs were homemade pyrotechnic devices delivered in padded envelopes and intended to shock rather than kill. At least two contained glass. Detectives believe all seven attacks are linked. The first three were delivered to forensic laboratories in central England, while other attacks occurred at companies involved in tracking and monitoring motorists, including the head office of the company charged with running London's congestion zone scheme. The other package was sent to a house in Kent used as a business address, where it exploded, injuring the householder. Detectives investigating the attacks have been liasing with Cambridgeshire police over a parcel bomb attack on a local Labour Party office in Cambridge last August, the UK's Press Association reported. At least one of the packages is said to have featured a Cambridgeshire post mark.

Deutsche Post Plans $110M Medium-Term Investment In China
By: Dow Jones, February 15, 2007

The Department of Posts will be launching its international money order service in March, which will enable money to be received at any place in the country from select countries within 48-72 hours. "We are launching this service in March on a pilot basis. This will be launched in the four metros and depending on the result, later extended to other parts of the country as well," IMG Khan, Secretary, Department of Posts, told reporters here on Wednesday on the sidelines of a banking conference. This service is IT-based and useful for remittances from abroad and these can be converted into money-orders while being delivered to the receivers. This service will facilitate the 'last-mile' contact, Khan said. He expected this service to be availed by the Indian population present in large numbers in countries in the Gulf region, the UK, US, etc.

India Post's Money Order Service Goes Global
By: DNA India.com, February 15, 2007

The Department of Posts will be launching its international money order service in March, which will enable money to be received at any place in the country from select countries within 48-72 hours. "We are launching this service in March on a pilot basis. This will be launched in the four metros and depending on the result, later extended to other parts of the country as well," IMG Khan, Secretary, Department of Posts, told reporters here on Wednesday on the sidelines of a banking conference. This service is IT-based and useful for remittances from abroad and these can be converted into money-orders while being delivered to the receivers. This service will facilitate the 'last-mile' contact, Khan said. He expected this service to be availed by the Indian population present in large numbers in countries in the Gulf region, the UK, US, etc.

Ghana Post to Go High Tech
By: The Ghanaian Times, January 31, 2007

The management of Ghana Post is to begin a counter computerization programme to make the company more competitive. This is part of a programme by the management to reposition the company to respond to the demands for efficient postal services and to provide customers with what they want. The plan was contained in a statement issued in Accra by the company to mark the Pan African Post Day which fell on January 18. The Day was set aside by the Pan African Postal Union to create awareness in the minds of the public on the important role the Post plays in the development of countries. This year’s theme was: “The Post at the heart of competition”. The statement said when the counter computerization had been done, Ghana Post would integrate internet cafes into its core business nationwide. “There will also be other new services which we will introduce taking advantage of the opportunities that ICT will create for us. These include bill payments for utilities and money transfer services,” it said. The statement said in Africa and more especially Ghana, where liberalization had been total, public postal operations ought to show tenacity and initiative to be able to face the competitive environment to remain in business. This meant that public postal operations had to adopt strategic re-orientation of activities for survival and prosperity for their companies. The postal market in Ghana had seen a progressive competition and the statement acknowledged there was competition from all angles, the statement said.

China’s Postal Reform Begins
By: China Daily, January 30, 2007

Long-awaited reform of China's postal system has begun with the establishment of the new State Postal Bureau and China Post Group Corp yesterday. Market-oriented policies modeled on reforms in the telecommunications sector will separate administrative functions and business practices from the original State Postal Bureau. "China's postal service system enters a new development stage, with the government responsible for market supervision and China Post Group independent in its management," Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a ceremony yesterday marking the new entities. But there is much work to do to deepen the reform in the company as well as the administrative body, Zhang said. For the State Postal Bureau, it is important to improve regulations in the sector and build a fair and orderly market environment, said Ma Junsheng, director of the State Postal Bureau. More internal reforms should be undertaken at China Post to make the company more efficient, Zhang said.

Zimpost Raises Rates
By: The Herald, January 29, 2007

ZimPost has raised its charges by over 100 percent with effect from January 24, 2007, as operational costs skyrocket in the prevailing highly inflationary environment. The increase comes three months after the last one in October last year. Postage of local letters weighing up to 20g and over 2kg has gone up from $100 and $550 to $400 and $6,000 respectively. Airmail postage rates to African countries have gone up from between $600 and $4,200 to between $1,500 and $28 000 depending on weight. Postage of letters to European destinations has gone up from between $750 and $5,400 to between $2,000 and $46,000. Rates for the rest of the world range from $2,500 to $53,000, up from between $1,000 and $7,300. Rates for surface mail to Africa now range between $1,300 and $14,000, up from between $500 and $3,500. Surface mail to Europe now costs between $1,600 and $15,000, from between $600 and $4 000 previously. Rates for the rest of the world are now between $1,800 and $23,000, up from the $800-$4,800 range. Postage of domestic parcels weighing from 1kg up to 30kg has gone up from between $1,000 and $2,700 to between $5 500 and $25 200. Registration and insurance charge for a postal article registered to any country outside Zimbabwe has gone up from $1 250 to $3,800. For registered local articles, the cost varies depending on value, ranging between $900 and $2,000, up from the $250-$800 range previously.

Royal Mail Share Plan Rejected
By: BBC News, January 25, 2007

The government has rejected a demand from Royal Mail's management that 20% of its shares be handed to employees. Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton had spent several months trying to persuade the government to support the plan. Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling rejected a share scheme worth about £5,000 to each worker. He and the Royal Mail are working on a plan for "phantom shares" that behave like normal shares but confer no ownership fights. It is hoped this plan will allow workers to benefit from increases in the value of the company. Mr. Darling said: "Those discussions are at a fairly advanced stage. We have decided not to go down the road of an employee share ownership scheme, but we want a scheme that will bring equivalent benefit. "Given the scale of the challenges in front of the Royal Mail, it is only right there should be some reward for employees."

Meanwhile, a Royal Mail spokesman said the new share scheme being agreed with the government which would still be worth up to £5,000 per worker. "We will shortly agree with the government a John Lewis-type share scheme which will give our people 20% of the economic value of the company and will be worth up to £5,000 per employee," said the spokesman. "These phantom shares will perform as normal shares and will be tradable within the company." Mr. Darling told the Trade and Industry Select Committee of his concerns about the scheme originally proposed by Post Office management. He said primary legislation would have been needed for the scheme to go ahead, which would have taken at least 18 months. The minister also said it was a matter of "great concern" that the Royal Mail had lost a number of major contracts in recent weeks, adding that the company faced "formidable" competitive pressure in the postal market. "The Royal Mail has got to make some pretty fundamental changes to the way it works," he said.

Japan Post Planning to List 2 Units' Stocks In 2009
By: Kyodo News, January 11, 2007

Japan Post Corp. may list the stocks of its planned banking and insurance units in late 2009, the third year of their foundation scheduled in October, President Yoshifumi Nishikawa said Wednesday, according to Kyodo News.

"I would like to list stocks (of the two) as early as in the third year and no later than by the end of the fourth year," Nishikawa said in his speech at a New Year gathering of the Japan Postal Workers' Union, Kyodo reported. The postal savings bank and the "kampo" life insurance company would be among the four units to be owned by Japan Post Corp. as a holding company upon the postal system's privatization beginning in October, Kyodo said.

Japan Post announced last July that the postal savings bank and the insurance company will be listed in the fourth year of their establishment at the latest. Before the audience at the union gathering, including Koji Furukawa, who is set to become the chief executive officer of the new banking company, and three other future CEOs of the expected new companies, Nishikawa emphasized the importance of cooperation among the four units, Kyodo reported. "We need to fully benefit from the synergy effect to be created by building a cooperative system among the four business operators," Nishikawa said, adding, "We have to please our customers and make them say that privatization was a good thing" by providing high-quality services and products, Kyodo reported. He also called for teamwork between the management and the labor union, according to Kyodo. Meanwhile, Nishikawa told reporters that his company will revise its earnings forecast for the privatized companies based on its new management plan for the April-September period unveiled at the end of last year, Kyodo said.

USPS: ‘Intelligent Mail’ Fully Operational by 2009
By: USPS Press Release, January 11, 2007

The U.S. Postal Service presented its new vision to revolutionize business mail by using standardized intelligent barcodes, continuous mail tracking, and real-time feedback to business customers. These services, referred to as Intelligent Mail®, will be fully operational for all commercial mailers by 2009.

“Intelligent Mail is like having a GPS system for mail,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer John E. Potter during the January Board of Governors meeting where the vision was presented. The centerpiece of the technology is one standardized intelligent barcode used on each piece of mail (letters and large envelopes known as “flats”) as well as each mail container. As these travel through the postal network, and are scanned at key points, the technology enables business customers to ”see” their mail at every step — from arrival at the postal facility to processing to transportation to delivery. The Intelligent Mail process is fully automated. Customers provide advance notification of each shipment electronically, enabling the Postal Service to better match appropriate resources. Verification — checking address quality, pre-sorting accuracy, and postage — also is automated instead of performed manually.

This sophisticated system enables real-time data to be captured and communicated — identifying problems such as bad addresses and improper pre-sort and feeding the information back to the mailers for correction. “Constant feedback is what really differentiates Intelligent Mail from our current process,” said Potter. “This increases the overall value of mail as a business communications medium.” The new system also provides real-time data to improve service measurement, enabling the Postal Service to pinpoint problems immediately, rather than receive evaluations from outside sources after the fact.

India Post to Emerge as a Key Player in Bulk Mail Market
By: Hindustan Times-INDIA, January 9, 2007

The multi-crore courier services sector, dominated by the multi-nationals and indigenous private players, will soon see India Post emerging as a key player in the arena. As of January 10, 2007 India Post’s fresh initiative ‘Mail Business Center’ on this front will unfold. Delhi will be the first among the major cities to have three such stops catering to the bulk mailing requirements of the corporate and government organisations. In what could be perceived as image make-over for the India Post, its General Manager, Business Development, John Samuel, described the MBCs as "one stop mailing centers" primarily eyeing the corporate clients. Soon all major cities of the country will have this facility, he said adding : "Basically, we are adopting a businesslike approach to woo the customers by providing an efficient service."

An Post Banking Venture Faces Tough Market
By: Sunday Business Post , January 8, 2007

An Post’s banking joint venture with Belgian giant Fortis faces a difficult start in the coming months after new figures showed the Post Office Savings Bank failed to retain most of the €140 million paid out to its Special Savings Incentive Account (SSIA) holders last year. An Post’s banking joint venture with Belgian giant Fortis faces a difficult start in the coming months after new figures showed the Post Office Savings Bank failed to retain most of the €140 million paid out to its Special Savings Incentive Account (SSIA) holders last year. Figures for the year ended December 2006, show An Post savers switched their money to other institutions when their SSIAs matured, as its savings bank struggled to match eye-catching deals from rivals such as AIB, Bank of Ireland and Anglo Irish Bank. The bank’s total deposit base grew by just 3 per cent to just over €1.5 billion last year.

Statement May Allow U.S. Gov't to Open Mail
By: Washington Post , January 8, 2007

A signing statement attached to postal legislation by President Bush last month may have opened the way for the government to open mail without a warrant. The White House denies any change in policy. The law requires government agents to get warrants to open first-class letters. But when he signed the postal reform act, Bush added a statement saying that his administration would construe that provision "in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances."

"The signing statement raises serious questions whether he is authorizing opening of mail contrary to the Constitution and to laws enacted by Congress," said Ann Beeson, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. "What is the purpose of the signing statement if it isn't that?" Beeson said the group is planning to file a request for information on how this exception will be used and to ask whether it has already been used to open mail. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said there was nothing new in the signing statement. Snow said: "All this is saying is that there are provisions at law for _ in exigent circumstances _ for such inspections. It has been thus. This is not a change in law, this is not new." The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and our federal criminal rules require prior judicial approval before domestic sealed mail can be searched.

Post Danmark Buys 51 per cent of Transportgruppen
By: Post Danmark Press Release , January 5, 2007

Post Danmark A/S and Transportgruppen A/S have entered into an agreement concerning the purchase by Post Danmark of 51 per cent of the shares in Transportgruppen by direct placement. The shares will be acquired with effect from 1 January 2007. This venture will enable Post Danmark to offer their customers a total concept covering courier shipments, parcels and mixed cargo of all sizes. The purchase of the shares in Transportgruppen will give Post Danmark access to a finely meshed and efficient nationwide network for the distribution of goods. In the same way as Post Danmark, Transportgruppen has cargo centers at its disposal at Brøndby and Taulov in addition to 80,000 sq. meters of warehouse facilities in Copenhagen and Århus. Via its carriers, Transportgruppen has access to 18 regional cargo terminals and 900 rolling units. In 2006, Transportgruppen generated a turnover of approx. DKK 280 million and some 1,100 people are employed with its carriers and in the company.

Austria Post Completes Purchase of Croatian Direct Marketer
By: Telecomfinance.com, January 4, 2007

Austria Post has completed the full acquisition of Croatian direct mailing company Weber Escal as part of its European mail and parcels expansion strategy. Weber Escal, founded in 1994, specializes in deliveries of unaddressed mail throughout Croatia. Weber Escal has a staff of 250 employees and delivers 90 million mail pieces per year. It has a 40% share of the Croatian direct marketing sector with revenues of EUR 2 million in 2005.