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Postal service an invaluable contributor to economic development – UN

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Postal service an invaluable contributor to economic development – UN

In an era of rapid technological advancements, the post remains a vital communication element that links people and businesses and contributes to their economic development worldwide, the United Nations global postal agency says.

“The post is an invaluable service that continues to ensure a vital communication link between people and businesses worldwide,” said the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) Director-General Edouard Dayan, commemorating World Post Day, which falls on Sunday this year.

Mr. Dayan asked people everywhere to “remember the fundamental values of the post and the numerous public services it offers to people everywhere, which contribute to the economic development of countries.”

The post remains the largest physical delivery network in the world, processing around 400 billion letters and 6 billion parcels each year. It is estimated that more than 80 per cent of these come from businesses associations and government administrations, making it an important resource for economic development.

Mr. Dayan said that in particular, the number of parcels being processed continues to increase due to the growing popularity of e-commerce.

He also stressed that the post’s services go beyond sending letters and parcels as postal financial institutions hold more than one billion of the estimated five billion current and savings accounts in the retail banking market worldwide.

“These institutions offer savings and loans products to many people who cannot easily access banking services or have low incomes,” he said.

As part of the celebrations this year, the UPU organized an international letter-writing competition, inviting young people to imagine themselves as a tree and write a letter to someone explaining why it is important to protect forests.

This year, the prize went to Charlée Gittens from Barbados and China’s Wang Sa from China, who will receive their gold medals and prizes during ceremonies being held in their respective countries.