Post_Office_1971-1972 — Page 7

INTRODUCTORY SUMMARY

THE Post Office Department operates postal services within Hong Kong and participates in worldwide exchanges of mail by land, sea and air. It is responsible for postal remittance services and for such administrative functions as telecommunications control and radio-wave regulation. The Postmaster General is the nominated Telecommunications Authority for Hong Kong under the Telecommunication Ordinance. The year under review saw the commencement of the Department's 131st year of operation.

2. Revenue from Postal and Remittance Services for the year ended 31st March, 1972, reached a record $167 million, an increase of 4.2% over the previous year, whilst expenditure (on direct charges) amounted to $95.4 million, representing a 2% increase over the previous year.

3. It was necessary to increase charges for two internal services during the year as neither was paying its way. On 1st July, 1971, the registration fee was raised from 40 cents to $1.00 and on 1st August, 1971, the internal concessionary rate of postage for printed paper matter went up from 5 cents to 10 cents for the first ounce. The latter had the effect of bringing the charge for printed paper matter, such as bills and in- voices, into line with the 10 cent charge for an ordinary letter not exceeding one ounce.

4. It was also necessary to increase some charges for overseas surface mail postage in July 1971, to bring the existing low Hong Kong postal rates within the lower limits agreed at the 1969 Convention of the Universal Postal Union. Even after revision, however, the charges for overseas surface mail from Hong Kong are still generally lower than those charged in the majority of other countries.

5. The basic 10 cent charge for letter delivery within Hong Kong (which is not subject to international agreement) has remained unaltered since 1951 and ranks amongst the cheapest in the world.

6. During the year under review, there was an estimated increase of 3.5 million in the numbers of items posted locally for delivery within Hong Kong. This trend, however, was countered by an estimated reduc-

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