KUALA LUMPUR: The Communications and Multimedia Ministry is awaiting the outcome of the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) Extraordinary Congress in Geneva to discuss the future of UPU’s remuneration system for inbound international letters and small packages.
Its minister, Gobind Singh Deo (pix) said he would not comment further on the matter for now as the three-day congress only ends on Thursday (Sept 26).
“The issue will be discussed, so let them proceed with the congress first,“ he told reporters after officiating the Mobile 360 Digital Societies Conference here today.
The media has reported that postal rates could be affected as the United States (US) is considering ending 144 years of US involvement in the international body that governs the exchange of mail and postal parcels between countries.
The move is seen as an upshot from US President Donald Trump’s stand off with China in the ongoing trade war between the two superpowers.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in a statement today said two representatives from MCMC were attending the congress which would review three proposals.
The proposals are - accelerating rate changes under the current methodology, allowing countries to self-declare their rates, and a convergence proposal which blends the two.
The UPU remuneration system for letters and small packages – also known as the “terminal dues” system – ensures that Posts are compensated for the cost of handling, transporting and delivering items across borders.
This multilateral agreement facilitates the movement of postal items across borders, ensuring that anyone, anywhere within the UPU’s 192 countries can send and receive international post.
The current system was decided by the 2016 Congress and entered into force in Jan 2018. — Bernama
