Europa stamp series unveiled

6 June 2005 The Gleaner Pg. 8B

A new stamp series marking the 50th anniversary of the European Philatelic Cooperation was released on Wednesday, June 1. The series consists of three postage stamps and a souvenir sheet.

The idea of a joint stamp emission was first conceived in Europe in 1952. This was to motivate and symbolise the harmonisation of the entire community's interests and objectives. Six countries that were already linked in the coal and steel community ( Belgium , Luxembourg , Netherlands , France, West Germany and Italy ) decided to issue similar stamps with a common design, using the letters EUROPA in the form of a tower surrounded by scaffolding. These stamps were released in 1956.

By 1958 eight countries were releasing common design Europa stamps. From this developed the Conference des postes et des Telecommunications (CEPT), an assembly of 23 European postal administrations during the summer of 1959 in Montreux , Switzerland . The first official Europa CEPT stamp was released in 1960.

Through the next decade more countries joined the CEPT organisation, increasing its membership to over 35 countries. Jamaica joins the many postal administrations outside of Europe to celebrate longevity and success of the enterprise by releasing stamps to commemorate 50 years of European Philatelic Cooperation: 1956-2006.

All stamps are the same size, 30.56mm x 38.00mm, and are presented in the following denominations: $60, $70 and $100. Souvenir sheets will be available within one week at a cost of $230 each. First day covers will be available upon request.

Overseas collectors may

submit remittances by American and Canadian money orders, British postal orders, Euro currency or certified cheques and must include the cost of return postage by air. Orders should be addressed to:

Postmaster General

Philatelic Bureau

Central Sorting Office

P.O. Box 7000

Contributed

Deputy Postmaster General Michael Gentles (second right) points out an important aspect of the financials contained in the copy of the Correos 2003 Annual Report from Spain's Postal Service. Others in the photo are (from left) Deputy Postmaster General Carolle Hainsley, Postmaster General Dr. Blossom O'Meally-Nelson, Universal Postal Union (UPU) Caribbean Adviser Herbert Niles, and UPU consultant Juan Ianni. The occasion was a recent meeting held in the postmaster general's office, to review a preliminary situation analysis prepared by the UPU consultants.

Post code system to be introduced in Jamaica

Post codes allow the precise identification of the location of the addressee of a mail item.

Post codes are being adopted in many countries as a result of modern technological developments. Most persons will be familiar with the 'ZIP code' system used in the United States .

POST CODE DEFINED:

A post code is a system of identifying an address using numeric or alphanumeric characters. The United Kingdom uses an alphanumeric format. The American Post Code (ZIP code) is a five-digit number used as the last line of the address following the name of the city and state. The 'ZIP' (Zoning Improvement Programme) code system was introduced in the U.S. in 1963 to simplify mail distribution procedures. In October 1983, the U.S. Postal Service began using an expanded ZIP code system of nine numbers, consisting of the five-digit code plus an additional four digits, which specify an individual delivery route.

Many countries have already benefited from this refined mail zone arrangement. Jamaica Post will be undertaking the implementation of this project to further advance local communications to current international standards.

Effective today, it will be implemented in phases, starting with a pilot operation in Kingston 8, comprising areas served by the Constant Spring Post Office.

Kgn 8: now JMAAW03

The post code for Kingston 8 is JMAAW03. The public is, therefore, being asked to add this post code below the last line of the mailing address as follows:

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Stroke

1 Constant Spring Blvd

Kingston 8

JM AAW03

OBJECTIVES

Post codes allow the precise identification of the location of the addressee of a mail item. The main objective of a post code is to facilitate the sorting and transmission of mail items, and to improve mail delivery. This enhances postal service as:

n A performance measurement system for postmen will be easier to implement;

n There will be a reduction in the rate of incorrectly addressed mail;

n Mail processing operations can be further streamlined to reduce cost as well as ensuring efficient delivery.

HOW COMPANIES BENEFIT

Mail processing with a post code eliminates the risk of confusion between destinations with similar names. A post code enhances corporate customer databases by standardising the format for all address elements (fields). The validity of a customer's address is easily checked via its post code and thus reduces costs for returned mail items.

Comparing post-coded addresses in the customer database helps to eliminate costly duplication of addresses, thus contributing significant savings and augmenting the reliability of databases. Additionally, major mailers can programme their computers to pre-sort by post code. Database managers will be excited to finally have this system.

Beyond the postal service, post codes allow faster dispatch of emergency services to the correct location. Jamaica Post will undertake a phased introduction of post codes and continue to educate the public of its benefits, as well as to ensure that persons understand how local post codes are constructed.