XN000022-1976-08-05 — Page 3

ស

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1976

I

ANOTHER BUSY YEAR FOR POSTMEN ******

HONG KONG POSTMEN HAD A PARTICULARLY BUSY TIME DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1976 WHEN THEY HANDLED AN ALL-TIME RECORD OF 274.8 MILLION POSTAL ITEMS AN AVERAGE OF MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION ITEMS EVERY DAY.

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, 98 PER CENT OF ALL LOCAL LETTERS WERE DELIVERED BY THE NEXT WORKING DAY AFTER POSTING AND A SIMILAR PERCENTAGE OF ALL INCOMING AIRMAIL WAS DELIVERED BY THE NEXT WORKING DAY AFTER ITS ARRIVAL AT KAI TAK AIRPORT.

ALL IN ALL, IT WAS A YEAR OF DRAMATIC ACHIEVEMENTS BOTH IN THE QUANTITY OF MAIL HANDLED AND THE QUALITY IN WHICH THEY WERE HANDLED, A SPOKESMAN.FOR THE POST OFFICE SAID TODAY,

REVENUE FROM POSTAL AND REMITTANCE SERVICE FOR THE YEAR AMOUNTED TO $250 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF NEARLY 36 PER CENT WHILE EXPENDITURE TOTALLING $148.4 MILLION SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 31.6 PER CENT.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LETTERS HANDLED DURING THE YEAR INCREASED TO 271.5 MILLION, WHICH WAS 3.7 PER CENT ABOVE THE NUMBER IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THE INCREASE WAS LARGELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO AN UPSURGE IN THE NUMBER OF LOCAL LETTERS POSTED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THE PARCELS HANDLED, FELL BY 1.8 PER CENT FROM SOME 3.34 MILLION IN 1974/75 TO 3.28 MILLION IN 1975/76.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE DECREASE WAS DUE TO A FALLING OFF IN THE NUMBER OF PARCELS POSTED TO CHINA. HOWEVER, FOR THE FOURTH SUCCESSIVE YEAR, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER POSTED FOR LOCAL DELIVERY WHICH AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN 104,000 AND WAS 16 PER CENT MORE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

HE SAID THE WORLD-WIDE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE REFLECTED IN THE FACT THAT MORE THAN HALF OF ALL THE MAIL HANDLED BY THE POST OFFICE WAS EITHER SENT TO, OR RECEIVED FROM, PLACES ABROAD.

+THERE CAN BE VERY FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD IN WHICH THE POST OFFICE HANDLES SO HIGH A PROPORTION OF FOREIGN MAIL, HE ADDED.

DURING THE YEAR, SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WAS MADE IN THE PROVISION AND EXPANSION OF SPECIAL POSTAL FACILITIES CATERING FOR THE RAPID AND RELIABLE TRANSMISSION OF BUSINESS DOCUMENTS AND COMMERCIAL PAPERS.

/THE

•

SPEEDPOST"