ENG-2002 — Page 448

COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

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management services. It also accepts customer orders on behalf of merchants at post offices and collects payments for purchases from end-customers.

In December, Hongkong Post reached a new milestone in its services by launching a Wine Fulfilment Service in collaboration with Australia Post. With the support of the West Australian Government, Hongkong Post and Australia Post team up with renowned wineries in Australia to provide a one-stop shop service for Hong Kong customers to order Australian wines which are to be delivered to the customers at door within two to five business days via Speedpost, with all duties and charges paid. Eight sets of stamps were issued during the year, featuring the Year of the Horse; Hong Kong Art Collections; Cyber Industry in Hong Kong; Hong Kong, China- Canada Joint Stamp Issue on Corals; Beijing-Kowloon Through Trains; The 5th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Rocks of Hong Kong; and Christmas Stamps. With new initiatives incorporated in the stamp design, Hongkong Post has brought to the public and philatelists pleasant surprises and novelties. A special printing technique, thermography, was applied for the first time to the set of 'Rocks of Hong Kong' stamps during the printing process. This special process and coating greatly enhanced both the tactile and the visual appeal of the stamps in depicting the structure of the rocks. As an added feature to mark the approach of Christmas, the image of each icon on the 'Christmas Stamp' was highlighted by a second set of perforations. Sparkling silver foils were also applied on each stamp providing a special finishing touch for philatelists. There are 38 post offices equipped with a philatelic counter to better serve the needs of philatelists.

A set of new definitive stamps was issued in October to replace the old set. This is the second set of definitive stamps issued since the establishment of the HKSAR. It comprises 16 denominations and the design concept focuses on the harmony of the contrasting Eastern and Western cultures that co-exist in Hong Kong. Issued in 1999, the old set of definitive stamps was withdrawn from general sale but remains valid for the prepayment of postage.

To reinforce young collectors' interest in producing stamp exhibits and to promote philately among students, Hongkong Post organised the third Inter-School Competition on Stamp Exhibits with the support of the Education Department and the Commercial Press (HK) Ltd in March. This competition received a favourable response with a total entry of 147 frames of stamp exhibits.

During the year, Hongkong Post participated in a number of world-class stamp exhibitions to promote the collection of Hong Kong stamps. These included the World Stamp Exhibition held in the Republic of Korea; the International Stamp Fair and Exhibition held in the Netherlands; the International Stamp and Coin Expo held in Beijing; and the World Stamp Exhibition held in Monaco.

In February, a new Tin Yuet Post Office, in Tin Shui Wai, was opened for business, bringing the total number of post offices to 131. The office has a new layout and design that accentuates Hongkong Post's progressive corporate image. It has multi- purpose counter units designed to provide more convenient and efficient service to

customers.

Introduced on March 14, 1960, Mobile Post Offices have been providing convenient postal services for residents living in the rural and remote areas of the New Territories. In November, Hongkong Post launched Hong Kong's first-ever LPG Mobile Post Office in the eastern part of the New Territories. The use of liquefied petroleum gas helps reduce vehicle emissions and provide a cleaner environment for