The Government announced today (September 6) that the Postmaster General will adjust the principal postage rates with effect from January 1, 2018. 

     "Hongkong Post (HKP) is committed to providing reliable and efficient postal services to the public at reasonable prices. However, there is a need to periodically adjust postage rates in order to offset escalating operating costs, in particular increases in major cost components such as staff costs and terminal dues payments," a spokesman for HKP said. 

     "The current postage revisions are to achieve cost recovery and broadly reflect the projected cumulative inflation since the last adjustments up to December 2017. Overall, the postage increase for about 80 per cent of the total traffic will be within $1. Postage rates in Hong Kong will remain fairly low in comparison to those overseas even after the adjustments. We will also take the opportunity to further rationalise the rates structure of air mail and surface mail to align with international practices," the spokesman continued.
 
     The principal postage adjustments will be as follows:
 
* local letters weighing 30 grams or less will be adjusted from $1.70 to $2;
* letters by air mail weighing 20 grams or less to places such as the Mainland of China and Taiwan will be adjusted from $2.90 to $3.40, while those to other places will be adjusted from $2.90-$3.80 to $3.70-$5; and
* letters by surface mail weighing 20 grams or less to the Mainland of China, Macau and Taiwan will be adjusted from $2.20 to $2.60, while those to other places will be adjusted from $2.80-$3.70 to $3.20-$4.80.
 
     "With the development of information technology, electronic communication is replacing traditional correspondence and market competition from commercial delivery services is severe. These pose great challenges to the HKP business. HKP will continue with its efforts to generate revenue through business development and management of its costs with a view to providing affordable and quality postal services," the spokesman said.
 
     Details of the postage rate adjustments are in the Annexes.

Ends/Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:06

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