COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA
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During the year, Hongkong Post handled 1.28 billion items of mail, or a daily average of 3.5 million items, representing an increase of 8.4 per cent over 1996. Some 81.5 per cent of the items involved were local mail and 18.5 per cent overseas mail. Some 10 275 tonnes of letter mail and 3 787 tonnes of parcels were despatched overseas by air, representing a decrease of 8.3 per cent from 1996. Outward surface mail comprised 5 424 tonnes of letter mail and 2 621 tonnes of parcels, representing an increase of 4.7 per cent over 1996. Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, Germany and Singapore were major partners in letter mail; Japan, USA, Mainland China and Britain were major partners in parcels.
A reliable and efficient postal service has been important in Hong Kong's development as a leading commercial, financial and industrial centre. Hongkong Post provides two deliveries of letter mail each weekday to commercial and industrial areas and one delivery to residential areas. Parcels are delivered to all addresses in Hong Kong.
Performance pledges are published for the delivery of mail, philatelic and counter services. Hongkong Post achieved the pledged standards and in most areas exceeded them - in 1997.
On July 3, Hongkong Post introduced a new local postage structure designed to offer choice, cost savings and new services to major users. Local mail charges were reduced by a weighted average of 4 per cent, against projected inflation of 5.7 per cent since the last revision in September 1996.
Hongkong Post's premium service, Speedpost, which provides a door-to-door collection and delivery service for customers sending time-sensitive documents, samples or merchandise, continued to play an important part in supporting the business community. Amid intense competition from private couriers, Hongkong Post handled a total of 4.3 million Speedpost items in 1997, representing a decrease of 0.1 per cent over 1996. With an extensive network covering 82 countries, major exchange partners included Mainland China, Japan, USA, Taiwan and Australia.
During the year, Ma On Shan Post Office and Tung Chung Post Office were opened, bringing the total number of post offices in Hong Kong to 127. Construction work on the new Air Mail Centre building at Chek Lap Kok was completed in August and the installation of a comprehensive Postal Mechanisation System was completed in December. The centre, with new systems incorporating the state-of-the- art technology in mail processing, will be ready for operations when the new airport is commissioned.
Hongkong Post continued to review existing postal operations to identify and explore further areas for mechanisation and automation. A new Automatic Mailing System has been put on trial to provide customers with a self-service facility to post ordinary and registered letters. If satisfactory, the system will be installed in various places to provide a convenient service to members of the public.
To reduce the response time in handling customer enquiries, a computerised system has been developed in 1997 for tracking and tracing items. It will also automate the accounting work with carriers and overseas postal administrations. The module for tracking Speedpost items was implemented in August. Modules for other functions, including registered letters and parcels, will be implemented in phases within the next two years.
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