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The country’s sole postal services provider, Post Fiji Limited has temporarily put a freeze on its mailing franking machine in a bid to promote Fiji through the usage of stamps.
The company confirms that all its franking machines will temporarily be removed from all post office counters from September 15.
A franking machine is a machine that prints an impression on mails, indicating postage has been paid, which qualifies it to be posted. It can be used as an option to postage stamps.
The company in a paid advertisement last week said the removal of these machines was part of its initiative to personalise letters and parcels by placing stamps on them to give it more value.
Post Fiji Ltd manager public relations Merelita Isimeli told FijiLive that postage stamps, apart from paying the postage fee, promoted the countries from where it originated from and personalised items posted through the mail.
She said Post Fiji had embarked on an initiative to personalize and dress mail from senders in Fiji to receivers abroad and locally, “to promote Fiji through its stamps and indirectly, promote the hobby of philately (stamp collecting)”.
“The temporary removal of franking machines is an initiative to promote the use of postage stamps in Fiji,” Isimeli said.
She would not disclose how much it was costing Post Fiji to utilise and maintain these franking machines, supplied locally, and the percentage earnings it contributed to the company's overall profits.
However, she said these machines would not be removed for good.
“The company does not envision this because we have customers who undertake bulk posting and some customers who prefer having their mail franked,” Isimeli said.
As for the postal rates, she said the postal rates would remain the same as the only difference was postage stamps would now be used exclusively for postage.
“Postal rates come under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Commission. Post Fiji does not have any authority to change postal rates.”
“The temporary removal of the franking machines is not about Post Fiji making savings but about promoting the use of postage stamps in Fiji for postage locally and internationally.”
