ENG-2004 — Page 477

Communications, the Media and Information Technology | 411

purchase Hongkong Post stamps and PostShop products, and to order comprehensive selection of other quality merchandise from local and international suppliers.

Diversifying Retail Business

In January, Hongkong Post ventured into a new service area, teaming up with an information technology services company to provide both paper-to-electronic and electronic trade declaration services. Traders who opt for paper submission can benefit from the convenience and reliability of the extensive retail and collection network of Hongkong Post. Traders can also make use of Hongkong Post's e-Cert to facilitate the electronic submission of trade declarations to the government.

In November, Hongkong Post expanded the reciprocal postal remittance service from the existing six destinations to include the rest of the world, offering customers a fast and reliable means for sending or receiving money to and from their families and friends worldwide.

With the opening of the Kam Tai Post office in Ma On Shan in February and the Choi Ming Post Office in Tseung Kwan O in December, the post office network increased to 133 post offices, enhancing the services to the public.

Boosting Efficacy of Direct Mail

Direct Mail has been a popular, effective and efficient marketing tool for marketers to promote their product and services. To enable marketers to boost the efficacy of their marketing campaigns with improved customer targeting, Hongkong Post launched a sophisticated segmentation model in July as a new option for subscribers to the Premium Circular Service for sending direct mail. With this enhancement, marketers can choose the most suited to their customer profile.

Supporting the Community

In February, Hongkong Post participated in the Government's annual Book Donation and Sale Campaign, transferring over 210 000 donated books from around Hong Kong to the Central Library and generating substantial proceeds for local charities.

In fostering a caring culture in the community, Hongkong Post organised 'Love and Care Day' in September, providing an opportunity for its staff and customers to express gratitude to each other for their support. The public were encouraged to send one personal letter up to 50 grams free of postage to a local address at four selected post offices, aiming to encourage the use of physical mail to convey personal caring messages to others.

Health and Safety at Work

Hongkong Post believes in the shared responsibility of employers and employees to create and maintain a safe and healthy work environment. A total of 63 offices, a tenfold increase from 2003, received the 'Continual Improvement Safety Programme Recognition of System' Level 2 Certification from the Occupational Safety and Health Council.