GPA report shows slight decline in overseas mail

The General Postal Authority (GPA) has reported a slight decline
last year in the volume of ordinary and registered letters sent
overseas as well as in the incoming mail, while ordinary mail for
distribution within the UAE recorded a 33 per cent growth. According
to the GPA’s Annual Statistical Report for the year 2000, 31,900,063
ordinary letters were sent overseas as against 31,948,475 in 1999.
The incoming ordinary mail came down to 66,010,672 last year from
69,538,729 handled in the previous year. However, the number of ordinary letters distributed within the
country was 97,563,962, up from 73,402,684 in 1999. The report said
that ‘registered’ overseas outgoing letters in 2000 also came down
to 2,621,447 from 2,922,106 in 1999, while the incoming ‘registered’
mail from overseas slightly increased from 1,556,625 in 1999 to
1,557,309 in 2000. Comparing the number of Mumtaz Service
transactions for both local and overseas outgoing and incoming mail
for the year 2000, the GPA registered a three per cent increase in
the outgoing local Mumtaz mail, and a three per cent decrease in the
outgoing overseas registered mail in the last one year. The report
stated a 28 per cent increase in the total volume of parcel movement
within and outside the country last year compared with the figures
of 1999. “Since its establishment in 1985, the GPA has always endeavoured to
use up-to-date equipment and technology in its activities to present
excellent services to the public,” Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, UAE
Minister of Communications and Chairman of GPA, remarked in a
message. He said that the GPA had developed the existing services
and introduced new services to improve the standard of postal
services. “It has also expanded the number of post offices and
equipped these new offices with modern equipment to meet the
increased demand on the postal services and to match the growth and
development witnessed by the country in all social and economic
fields,” Mr Al Tayer said. The GPA has set up 61 post offices and over 201 postal agencies in
the country in the past 16 years of its existence. The number of
post offices in the country rose to 61 last year from 60 in 1999,
registering an increase of two per cent. The total number of postal
agencies rose to 201 last year from 191 in 1999, registering an
increase of five per cent. Abdullah Al Daboos, GPA’s Director General, said that in the last
few years, the GPA had added numerous advanced services towards
entering the 21st century with full strength. “The modern letter sorting machines which have improved the handling
incoming and outgoing letters inside the post office and ‘Rasel’
service where GPA plays the role of a mediator between individuals
and Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry to complete all the
procedures saving time, effort and money for the chamber clients are
among the important services introduced by the GPA recently,” Mr Al
Daboos said. He added that the new services and up-to-date equipment and
technology were part of the development policy of the GPA to expand
its services and reach even the most remote areas in the country. (The Khaleej Times)
Copyright 2001 The Emirates
Source: World Reporter (Trade Mark) – Middle East Intelligence Wire.THE EMIRATES, 30th July 2001