Question NW3078 to the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
30 October 2017 - NW3078
Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
What are the relevant details of the minimum standard set by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) for mail delivery times for letters and parcels received from the United Kingdom; 2. What are the relevant details of the average mail delivery times of the SA Post Office for (a) letters and (b) parcels received from the United Kingdom to addresses in (i) Cape Town, (ii) Johannesburg and (iii) Durban?
Reply:
I have been informed by SAPO as follows:
1. The minimum standard set by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) for mail delivery times for letters and parcels received from the United Kingdom is 90 percent and is measured as follows: Parcels and Letters = Day of Arrival plus 5 days. The minimum standard set by the UPU for registered letters and parcels received from the United Kingdom is 80 percent and is measured as follows: Registered items = Day of Arrival plus 7 days.
2. SAPO’s average mail delivery times are: (a) 37 days for registered letters and (b) 28 days for parcels.
SAPO has informed me that due to the backlogs SAPO is not meeting the UPU delivery standards and they attest this mainly to the increase in imported volumes which is growing year on year in excess of up to 400%. SAPO has also committed that processes are being amended currently to improve the entity’s ability and capacity to handle the increased volumes.
2(i)(ii)(iii) The Quality Control System (QCS) governed by the UPU, does not indicate delivery times separately for Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. However, the variance between the three areas could be estimated to be three days which is already included in the averages indicated above.
Approved/Not Approved
---------------------------------
Dr Siyabonga Cwele, MP
Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
Date: