New service in Central & Latin America post offices
Spanish Government supports money transfer for migrant workers.
Read MoreTag: Uruguay
UPU: Agreement on the creation of a worldwide technical support centre
The UPU have signed an agreement with the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (PUASP).
Read MoreChile, Spain and Uruguay launch new electronic money transfer service through postal network
Chile, Spain and Uruguay launched a new electronic money transfer service linking their countries, bringing Latin America into the fold of the Universal Postal Union’s international financial network.
People in all three countries will now be able to use the postal network to send and receive money to and from abroad. The service is currently offered in 110 post offices in Chile, in 2,300 in Spain and in 60 in Uruguay. The service is fast and secure; money transfers can be executed and delivered in 15 minutes.
The service relies on the International Financial System (IFS) application developed by the UPU’s Postal Technology Centre. IFS is the backbone of the UN specialized agency’s international financial network. The launch of the new service between Spain and Latin America is part of the UPU’s global efforts to modernize the obsolete paper postal money order and respond to some of the challenges posed by the phenomenon of international migration, including better access for migrant workers to secure remittance services through formal channels, such as the 660,000 or more post offices around the world.
According to World Bank data, more than 220 million migrant workers send over 300 billion dollars annually through formal channels. But officials believe that just as many remittances are being sent through informal channels, promoting money laundering and financing terrorist-related activities. Spain is home to 4.5 million immigrants, 1.6 million of them from Latin America. In 2006, these immigrants sent in excess of 6.25 billion euros to their families in their countries of origin, according to the Bank of Spain. By joining the UPU’s international financial network, Spain will be better able to meet the needs of this Latin American population, and there is now the potential for opening exchanges with countries in North Africa.
The new service is being launched following an agreement signed last December between Spain and the UPU.
Read MoreDHL expands product portfolio in Latin America
DHL introduced the largest two new time-definite express products in 12 countries across Latin America: DHL Express 10:30 a.m. for deliveries to the United States and DHL Express 12:00 p.m. for delivery services within Latin America.
The new morning express delivery services respond to customers’ time-sensitive needs, empowering them with the choice as to when and at what time they want their urgent materials delivered.
These new offerings are now available for customers and businesses sending shipments to major business centers within Latin America and to the U.S. from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Both products will serve the steady growth of exports from South and Central America which increased by 5 percent in 2007 while the region’s real merchandise imports increased by 20 pct, more than three times the global average in 2007, according to data from the World Trade Organization.
The service guarantees door-to-door, next day or second day delivery of documents and parcels. Additional service features for these services include the latest possible collection times-a clear competitive differentiator-proactive delivery notification by email, delivery guarantee, dedicated operations procedures for priority handling.
Read MoreUPU: ALACOPP joins the Consultative Committee
The Consultative Committee of the UPU has just welcomed a new member: the Latin American Association of Private Posts and Postal Operators (ALACOPP). This association, which is made up of private operators from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay, analyzes opportunities and challenges in the postal sector in order to increase the market for all industry players. The highly fragmented postal market in Latin America is made up of public operators and a large number of private entreprises.
According to ALACOPP’s Executive Director, Marcela MARON: “The challenge before us is for Latin America’s private operators to be successfully integrated into the work of the UPU, and for public and private operators to work together in our region to develop the postal sector as a whole, in order to improve the quality of service.”
The UPU Consultative Committee gives postal players other than public postal operators and regulators a voice in the organization’s deliberations. It consists of non-governmental organizations representing customers, delivery service providers, workers’ organizations, suppliers of goods and services to the postal sector and other organizations that have an interest in international postal services, including direct marketers, private operators, international mailers, philatelic associations and publishers.
As well as being the 25th member of the UPU Consultative Committee, ALACOPP is an observer member of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (PUASP).
Read MorePost & Parcel Magazine
Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.