I refer to a number of letters complaining about postal items being returned to sender even after the affixing of the required additional postage.

It should be pointed out that the 8c rate for local mail is for items up to 50g in weight. As a rough guideline, 50g is about five A4 sheets in a standard DL envelope measuring roughly 11 x 23cm.

The next step up, between 50g and 100g, will cost 11c - hence the request for a 3c additional postage, as most postal items requiring additional postage generally fall in this second category.

Any postal item weighing between 100g and 150g will require 15c postage. After this stage, each additional 50g up to a maximum of 2kg will require an additional 4c.

In the circumstances, in order to facilitate matters and help to avoid misunderstandings, it would greatly assist Maltapost if senders receiving envelopes with requests for additional postage were to affix the required additional postage on part of the postage due rubber stamp. This will then indicate to our sorting staff at a glance that the additional postage requirement has been complied with.

We trust this clarifies matters.