13 - 19 January 2000

Maltapost discontinues surface mail services

by David Kelleher

Maltapost plc is no longer offering surface mail services. As from 3 January, the company stopped accepting letters or packages to be sent by surface mail.

The decision has not affected companies or other entities although some complaints were made by people who usually sent packages containing used clothes to the missions, especially in Brazil, India and the Philippines.

Surface mail is the cheapest mail service offered by Maltapost even though it takes longer to arrive at its destination.

With advances in technology and means of transport, surface mail in reality meant mail was transferred on an irregular basis and then taken by air to another country.

Thus, surface mail, as its name implies, has become an obsolete service. This service is also being phased out in other countries around the world.

Contacted yesterday, Maltapost's public relations officer, Tony Barbaro Sant, told The Malta Business Weekly that the service had been discontinued but the company still offered an alternative to air mail.

"Yes, we stopped surface mail on 3 January, however we extended another service, known as Surface Air Lifted (SAL), to incorporate those countries that are frequent mail destinations from Malta - the Philippines, India and Brazil," Mr Barbaro Sant said. Other countries will be included in the near future.

"The SAL service is still cheaper than air mail. In this case, mail travels both by air and in some countries overland. Therefore letters or packages will take a little bit longer to arrive," he added.

Asked whether Maltapost has received any complaints from companies, Mr Barbaro Sant said there were no objections from commercial entities but very few objections from charity institutions, and those who did not know of the SAL service.