Author: Archive

India Post to open forex counters in select metros

Posted by | Aug 18, 2007 | |

Post offices in metros are set for a major change with the Government deciding to introduce new facilities like forex counters, cargo services, access to instant money order and other revenue generating services.

“We have got the license from the RBI to start the foreign exchange business in some post offices in selected metros. We are finalizing the deal which would be operational soon,” S Samant, Chief General Manager, Business Development, Department of Post (DoP), told PTI.

The department is acquiring an Air India flight to operate a dedicated cargo service carrying parcels, mails and couriers to north eastern states which will swift the delivery of mails in the region, Samant said.

The cargo flight would take off from Kolkata every morning and return in the evening after delivering the services at Agratala and Imphal, he said.

The Postal department recently signed and MoU with the Railways to sell train tickets in some of the post offices. Besides, it has undertaken the task of verifying pre-paid mobile subscribers in some areas, Samant said

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Faulty refund process may cost USPS USD 500,000

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

The Office of the inspector general’s audit of the US Postal Service’s refund process in the Capital Metro area (comprising Washington, Baltimore, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia) found that retail associates and customer service supervisors are not always properly processing and recording refunds of stamps, fees, retail services and Express Mail services.

As a result, the sites visited in the Capital Metro area have incurred USD 180,619 in unsupported, questioned costs and USD 531,784 in assets at risk for refunds of stamps, fees, retail services and Express Mail services.

The inspector general audited four sites in the Capital Metro area. However, the location of the sites is not public information, according to Deborah Yackley, media relations representative at the USPS.

To audit the sites, the office of the inspector general reviewed applicable policies and procedures in regard to the verification, approval and disbursement of refunds from January 2006 to July 2007. It obtained, reviewed and analyzed data from the point-of-service system, Retail Data Mart and Accounting Data Mart for the area districts under review to determine the amount of refunds processed.

The audit found that retail associates do not always complete refund documentation, enter the proper account identifier codes or provide signatures on Postal Service Forms 1412 in the Daily Financial Report.

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Postcomm issues consultation on proposal to reject Royal Mail's zonal pricing

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

Postcomm, the independent regulator for postal services, has issued a consultation on its proposal to reject Royal Mail’s application to charge large mailers – using products which are not part of the universal service – different prices depending on where in the UK their mail is delivered (Royal Mail calls this zonal pricing).

To reduce industry uncertainty, Postcomm announced that it was proposing to reject Royal Mail’s decision on 23 July. This consultation sets out in detail the reasons for the regulator’s decision.

The main reason why Postcomm proposes to reject Royal Mail’s application is because it could result in a pricing structure that would discriminate between different classes of postal users. Postcomm concluded that there could be pricing discrimination between:

– two of the five zones proposed by Royal Mail;
– different areas within the London zone; and
– the proposed zonal retail tariff and Royal Mail’s existing zonal access tariff for delivery of other operators’ mail over the so-called ‘final mile’.

The regulator also found that Royal Mail’s application could be introduced in a manner which would result in unreasonable changes for customers. Royal Mail did not propose a sufficient notification period for customers to prepare for the withdrawal of geographically uniform prices. The company also offered limited help to customers in managing the transition and communicating the necessary changes. Postcomm believes Royal Mail should give postal users a notice period of 12 months before geographically uniform prices are withdrawn completely.

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Lost post drives Royal Mail's compensation bill to GBP 1 m a month

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

Royal Mail is paying out more than GBP 1million a month in compensation for its failures – including settling vast numbers of claims for lost and damaged items.

More than 800 claims a day are paid out for letters and packages that have been lost. There are another 80 a day for damaged parcels and 150 per day over delayed items.

The GBP 13.6 million annual bill to settle claims represents the tip of the iceberg of Royal Mail failings because the company has become notorious for refusing to pay up over complaints.

It received complaints and compensation claims for 651,582 lost items in the 2006-07 financial year, yet paid out on only 311,005.

The Federation of Small Business claims the decline in services has reached crisis point and is damaging the economy.

Royal Mail’s GBP 13,623,473 compensation bill for 2006-07 is likely to rocket in the current financial year because of industrial action by the Communication Workers Union, according to reports to the federation.

The consumer body, Postwatch, has in the past accused Royal Mail of “cheating” customers by failing to pay proper compensation when items are stolen.

It emerged in June that Royal Mail auctions up to 75,000 items a year that have been lost in the post and not reunited with their owners.

Lost items cause more complaints than any other issue dealt with by Postwatch. Another major problem is damaged parcels.

For lost items, Royal Mail customers can claim compensation up to 100 times the cost of a first class stamp or the market value, whichever is lower. Compensation for damaged goods is awarded at the same rate, but not for glass or ceramics.

The company said that complaints and compensation claims fell in 2006-07 and were around 200,000 fewer than the year before.

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African post services must diversify or die

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

African postal services must diversify into lucrative businesses like money transfers and direct marketing or lack of government support will force them out of operation, the head of Posta Uganda said last Friday 10 th.

National post organizations are suffering worldwide as volumes of traditional letters fall and more people use e-mails, the Internet and mobile telephones to communicate.

In Africa, many rural post offices are little more than dilapidated shacks. But often they are the only network capable of reaching the majority of the population who live in villages.

Some believe they could also be used to bring new electronic services to millions of customers.

Mobile telephone use has boomed across the world’s poorest continent in the last decade, bringing a new hunger for information and services that national postal organizations are uniquely placed to fulfill, Mulooki added.

The World Bank is working with Posta Uganda to help it eventually offer Internet services and training at many of its 300 post offices. These upgraded centers will also be used for its local and international money transfer business.

Ugandans working overseas are a key plank of the nation’s economy, with estimated remittances doubling in the last seven years to around USD 500 million dollars annually.

Posta Uganda is also looking at using information on its large customer base for direct marketing, or bulk mail deliveries of advertising materials. It is also working with the government and utility providers to update billing systems.

But it is calling for more support from the government, and says that is what is needed across Africa.

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FedEx officer sells shares

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

The President and Chief Executive of a division of package delivery company FedEx Corp. sold 9,800 shares of common stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

In a Form 4 filed with the SEC Thursday, David F. Rebholz reported he sold the shares Tuesday for USD 109 to USD 109.38 apiece.

Insiders file Form 4s with the SEC to report transactions in their companies’ shares. Open market purchases and sales must be reported within two business days of the transaction.

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DHL names HR Manager for Philippines

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

DHL, a leading express and logistics company, has appointed Norberto Rances dela Cruz as human resources manager for DHL Philippines.

Dela Cruz will oversee the day-to-day delivery of human resources services such as staffing requirements, compensation and benefits, employee relations and internal communication for DHL.

He joined DHL in 2005 and formerly managed employee relations and labour-related concerns. His 10-year experience in human resource management from various industries as well as his accomplishments in DHL catapulted him to his new post.

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TNT Post wins Emap magazine business

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

Emap has handed its magazine postal account to TNT Post, marking the Royal Mail rival’s first win in the sector.

The 12-month contract will involve handling up to six million items across its consumer and business-to-business titles using TNT’s Premier service, which offers a two-day definite service and is then delivered to homes by Royal Mail.

Emap group circulation controller Ian Phillips said TNT’s offer on price and service would deliver significant cost benefits. “Subscription copies account for a significant proportion of our copy sales and so our postal partner is an integral part of our service,” he added. “We have also been impressed by the plans that TNT Post has in place for development and expansion of its UK services.”

TNT secured the deal following an eight-week trial. It also handles postal services for BT, Centrica, Sainsbury’s, Next, JD Williams, Lloyds TSB, HBOS and Barclays.

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