Uncollected mail impinging resources

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Historically, there is the perception of the Jamaican postal system being inefficient. One may recall having rent receipts being marked ‘to be stamped’ by property owners. Stamps were never purchased from the post office for these receipts and landowners were never held accountable. This resulted in the post office losing valuable income streams.

The Ministry of Justice informs that the Post Office Act comes under communication and technology and provides for ‘the establishment and regulation of Post Offices and the Conveyance of mails’. It came into effect on December 15, 1941 and was last amended on January 1, 1978, ( https://moj.gov.jm/laws/post-office-act).

It was therefore ‘music to the ears’ to learn of plans to transform the postal service. Garfield L. Angus covered the Jamaica Post’s 350th Anniversary Stamp launch on October 29, 2021 when Postmaster General Lincoln Allen outlined those plans.

I do hope they can be fast-tracked based on the current experience with uncollected mail in one Corporate Area housing complex consisting of over 40 apartments. When owners and tenants move they generally do not inform companies and individuals of the change in their addresses. The post office instructed us to write the words ‘unknown’ or ‘removed’ on the requisite mail. However, the postmen are reluctant to collect them, citing the tedious manual documentation process as a deterrent.

A member of our executive team assumes the role of returning over 100 items of uncollected mail to the post office in order to clear the backlog. Much to our dismay they continue to come. Financial institutions and utility companies are among the main offenders. A representative of the post office indicated that once the post office returns the mail to the respective companies or individuals, it is the latter’s responsibility to ensure that they are purged from their records. The reluctance of current residents to collect printed mail is another challenge because they are also receiving the same mail via email.

Only time will tell if the post office modernisation thrust will provide technological and administrative solutions that will address the needs of all stakeholders.

JOAN FRANCIS

Secretary

Proprietors Strata Plan #433