Postal Digest: News from Poste Italiane, PostNord, VietnamPost, Latvian Post

More of the latest news headlines from the postal industry around the world, including innovation from Poste Italiane and Latvian Post, and expanded services at Japan Post and VietnamPost…

Russian minister visits Poste Italiane tech campus

Russia’s deputy minister of communications, Dennis Sverdlov visited Poste Italiane’s technology campus last week.

The Italian postal service is currently working closely with Russian Post as its technology advisor, examining ways to modernise Russia’s postal network and introduce new payment and digital communications products and services. Last week’s ministerial visit saw Sverdlov discussing an overview of collaborative projects with Poste Italiane chief executive Massimo Sarmi.

During his visit, the minister was shown Poste Italiane’s state-of-the-art IT systems that constantly monitor the quality of services across the network. He also observed Poste Italiane’s new mobile payment system, which uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to allow customers to make payments in post offices using mobile phones.

PostNord issues SEK 540m in bonds

Swedish-Danish postal operator PostNord has issued bonds with a value totaling SEK 540m ($82m USD).

The company said the bonds will be listed on the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm stock exchange, maturing in June 2015.

It said the medium-term notes provide the group with greater flexibility to finance transformation and further acquisitions. Post Nord, which is currently working to streamline its mail business and expand in the field of logistics, including through acquisitions, issued the bonds under a programme that will allow the issuing of SEK 6bn ($907m USD) in bonds in the Swedish market in total.

VietnamPost to expand international courier availability

Vietnam Post is set to double the number of outlets in which its international courier service, VNQuickPost, is offered from next month.

The company is set to expand the number of provinces and cities in which the service, run in partnership with DHL, is available – from 18 to 35. The VN QuickPost service offers delivery to 232 countries and territories with transit times of between two and seven days.

Staff training courses are being held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City this month to prepare for the expansion, improving staff knowledge of international courier and business services and markets.

US insurers object to Japan Post proposals

A trade group representing American life insurance companies has hit out at support for Japan Post expanding its insurance offerings.

The American Council of Life Insurers said at the weekend that it was “deeply disappointed” that Japan’s Postal Services Privatisation Committee had issued an opinion suggesting that a new Japan Post Insurance education endowment product should be approved by the government. It said the proposal went against Japan’s commitments to the World Trade Organisation’s free trade rules, and that no new Japan Post Insurance Product should be approved before the government levels the playing field between the state-owned postal company and private industry.

“Granting new competitive advantages to Japan Post will not improve citizens’ lives. Instead, it will harm the employees, sales agents, contractors, and investors of Japan Post’s private sector competitors; reduce consumer choice; distort Japan’s economy; and reduce opportunities for economic growth,” said the ACLI. “ACLI reaffirms its call for the establishment of a level competitive playing field in Japan’s insurance market and the removal of special statutory or regulatory privileges given to the government-owned JPI.”

Latvian Post introduces electronic notification system

Latvian Post has introduced a new electronic notification system for domestic parcels, small packages and registered mail.

The free service, called E-aicinājums (E-call) requires senders to submit the recipient’s mobile phone number and/or email, and will then be delivered to the post office nearest the recipient’s home address. When the item arrives, the recipient receives a text message or email containing collection details.

“With the introduction of E-call, Latvian Post will be able to more effectively use the resources that have so far been spent on printing and delivering notification cards,” said the director of Latvian Post’s business management department, Raimonds Ozoliņš.