XN000022-1984-07-31 — Page 9

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1984

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POST OFFICE STEPPING UP PHILATELIC SERVICES

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COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS ISSUED BY THE POST OFFICE CONTINUE TO PROVE POPULAR WITH LOCAL COLLECTORS, AND PLANS ARE IN HAND TO BOOST THE IR SALES OVERSEAS.

THE LATEST FIGURES SHOW THAT THE POST OFFICE PHILATELIC BUREAU HAS SOLD $17 MILLION WORTH OF STAMPS AND PHILATELIC ITEMS SINCE IT WAS SET UP IN 1974, IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR ALONE, SALES TOTALLED $3 MILLION.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE BUREAU INCLUDE THE SALE OF FIRST DAY COVERS AND OTHER PHILATELIC ITEMS, THE PROCESSING OF ADVANCE ORDERS FOR SERVICED FIRST DAY COVERS AND THE HANDLING OF ENQUIRIES.

+SO FAR ITS ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN GEARED MAINLY TO THE LOCAL MARKET. BUT WE WILL BE RE-ORGANISING THE BUREAU OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO PROMOTE AND EXPAND ITS PRESENT OVERSEAS SERVICES, + MR P.C. LUK, CHIEF POSTAL ACCOUNTANT, SAID.

+ THE PROMOTION PROGRAMME INCLUDES PLACING ADVERTISEMENTS IN WIDELY-CIRCULATED MAGAZINES, CIRCULATING PAMPHLETS AND POSTERS ABROAD, PARTICIPATING IN INTERNATIONAL STAMP EXHIBITIONS AND IMPROVING LINKS WITH INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC SOCIETIES, + MR LUK SAID.

AT PRESENT, THERE IS A PHILATELIC COUNTER IN THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, AND IN THE TSIM SHA TSUI, GRANVILLE ROAD, AIRPORT AND PEAK POST OFFICES.

+AS PART OF THE RE-ORGANISATION, THE COUNTER AT THE GENERAL POST OFFICE WILL BE RE-LOCATED TO A MORE PROMINENT POSITION WITHIN THE SAME PREMISES AND WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION, MR LUK SAID.

EFFORTS WILL ALSO BE STEPPED UP TO PROMOTE INTEREST IN PHILATELY AMONG STUDENTS WHO ARE CONSIDERED POTENTIAL COLLECTORS.

+SCHOOL TALKS AND FILM SHOWS WILL BE GIVEN ON REQUEST AND SPECIAL ORDER FORMS FOR FIRST DAY COVERS ARE BEING SENT TO SCHOOLS REGULARLY,+

+ IN ADDITION, WE ARE PLANNING TO CONDUCT A SURVEY THIS SUMMER TO STUDY THE EXTENT OF THE IR INTEREST SO THAT WE SHALL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO HELP SCHOOLS ORGANISE THEIR PHILATELIC ACTIVITIES.

MR LUK RECALLED THAT HONG KONG'S FIRST SPECIAL STAMPS WERE ISSUED IN 1891 TO COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE TERRITORY.

+A TOTAL OF 50 000 SETS, ALL IN THE DENOMINATION OF 2 CENTS, PROVED TO BE VERY POPULAR, HE SAID.

/SO FAR,