Snail mail to get a facelift

Postal services play a vital role in modern commercial and social life, providing channels of communication between individuals, businesses, organisations and the government. The postal sector is a key part of the economy and the provision of high quality postal services is therefore crucial in underpinning national competitiveness. It is essential for the postal sector to ensure that customers, both business and residential, enjoy competitively priced, high quality postal services. In fact the Malta Communications Authority's (MCA) remit is to make sure that high quality service at affordable prices is at the forefront on Malta's postal services agenda.

My ministry has embarked on an extensive update of the existing postal services legislation in line with the EU Postal Directive and current market requirements. Last summer, a public consultative process was initiated to amend existing postal laws. Our vision is to minimise ministerial intervention and transfer functions to MCA to simplify the procedures while reducing existing time frames and administrative burdens.

In a nutshell, the proposed measures will be reforming the current cumbersome licensing procedures with the aim of simplifying them. This would be reducing the time for a licence to be granted to the prospective service provider. Furthermore, these measures will be facilitating the full liberalisation of the market by no later than December 31, 2012. I am confident this step will be opening the postal sector to increased competition with the resultant benefits to consumers.

Postal reforms taking place during the 21st century are increasingly being driven by the explosion of internet usage, the development of eCommerce and eGovernment. The increase in the take-up of eCommerce and eGovernment services has posed significant challenges to the postal sector.

Notwithstanding the consequential challenges, it has also generated greater demand for postal services and highlighted the importance of the postal sector despite the vast developments in the electronic world. Bulk mail, for example, is on the increase.

Postal services have to complete the very transactions initiated electronically, for example through delivery of goods purchased over the internet, renewal of vehicle licences online and so on. Consequently, a key objective is the promotion of a dynamic and flexible postal sector which will assist in the development of eBusiness services nationwide.

The challenge for the 21st century postal operator is to grasp the opportunities that exist by moving away from the historical "sell what we make" approach to providing a more consumer-centric service. This shift is expected to be further accentuated by the full market opening of the postal market in 2013, stimulating innovation and value for the consumer.