ENG-1996 — Page 429

COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA

Postal Services

The Hong Kong Post Office provides reliable, efficient and universal postal services. at reasonable prices to meet the needs of Hong Kong and its international postal obligations. Since August 1, 1995, the Post Office has operated as a trading fund department. This gives it a higher degree of flexibility in resource management so it can respond more effectively to changes in markets and operating environment, improve productivity, efficiency and customer service standards as well as to introduce new services to its customers.

In 1996, the Post Office handled 1.17 billion items of mail, or a daily average of 3.2 million items, representing an increase of 0.7 per cent over 1995. Some 78 per cent of the items involved local mail and 22 per cent overseas mail. In respect of overseas mail, 10 843 tonnes of letter mail and 4 691 tonnes of parcels were despatched by air, representing a decrease of 3.1 per cent from 1995. Outward surface mail comprised 6 474 tonnes of letter mail and 2 997 tonnes of parcels, representing an increase of 0.8 per cent over 1995. The USA, China, the UK, Japan and Taiwan were major partners in letter mail while Japan, Canada, the UK, Taiwan and the Philippines were major partners in parcels.

A reliable and efficient postal service has been an important factor in Hong Kong's development as a leading commercial, financial and industrial centre. The Post Office provides two deliveries each weekday to commercial and industrial areas and one delivery to residential areas.

Performance standards are published for the delivery of mail and for the counter service. The Post Office was able to achieve the pledged standards, and in most areas exceeded them, in 1996.

The Post Office Customer Liaison Group, in its third year of establishment, continued to assist in the effective monitoring of performance pledges and to provide a chance for direct exchange of views between customers and the Post Office.

The Post Office premium service, Speedpost, which provides door-to-door collection and delivery service for customers sending time-sensitive documents, samples or merchandise, continued to play an important part in the business community. Amid intense competition from private couriers, the Post Office handled a total of 4.3 million Speedpost items in 1996, representing a slight increase of 1.1 per cent over 1995. With an expanded network covering 80 countries, the Hong Kong Post Office ranked third in the world in terms of Speedpost traffic, after the USA and Japan. Major exchange partners included China, Japan, the USA, Taiwan and the Republic of Korea.

During the year, the Rennie's Mill Village Post Office was closed down because of demolition of the Tiu Keng Leng Cottage Area. The total number of post offices in the territory was 125. A Parcel Delivery Centre was opened in Sha Tin to facilitate the extension of door-to-door delivery of parcels to the New Territories in phases.

Construction work of the new Air Mail Centre building at Chek Lap Kok Airport started in January and installation of a comprehensive Postal Mechanisation System commenced in November. The system incorporates the state-of-the-art technology in mail processing. It comprises an integrated mail processing system for letters and sorting machines for packets, parcels and Speedpost items. It also consists of a dedicated storage and retrieval system for mailbags, advanced equipment for

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