January 31, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "Airborne Inc., parent of the third-largest U.S. express-delivery company, Friday said fourth-quarter earnings soared on growth in ground-delivery shipments and the return to profitability of its international operations."

January 31, 2003 -- The Rocky Mountain News has reported that "TeleTech Holdings Inc., a maker of software used to manage customer relations, will cut 1,200 jobs after losing a U.S. Postal Service contract."

January 31, 2003 -- In a teleconference with members of the press, U.S. Postal Service Chief Financial Office Richard Strasser said that:

• Congress should leave the decision as to how money saved from a CSRS correction should be directed be left to the discretion of postal management and the Board of Governors. The economic benefits of holding postage rates unchanged for the next several years should be part of the calculus that ultimately what's used to determine what Congress and the President should do.
• It would be inappropriate for the Postal Service to decide on its own whether it is appropriate to expect the USPS to pick up non-USPS retirement obligations.
• Management is keeping the Board informed on both the Postal Service's cost reduction success and other business developments and that will determine when and if a postal rate filing is actually made.

January 31, 2003 -- Comme ntWire has reported that "Hays is on the look out for potential bidders for the logistics sector that was once central to its operations. Speculation into potential buyers for Hays Logistics has begun and the operations must be tempting to groups looking specifically to expand their presence in the UK and European markets. Hays' core operations consist of personnel recruitment and logistics."

January 31, 2003 -- The U.S. General Accounting Office has issued its report on its review of the findings and recommendations of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) concerning the Postal Service's funding of its Civil Service Retirement System obligation.

January 31, 2003 -- From other sources around the web:

• The Financial Times has reported that businesses and consumers could be buying electronic stamps on the internet by the end of this year, if Royal Mail trials prove successful. Tests are due to start in the next three months. 'You will be able to buy stamps online and print them on your printer,' Royal Mail information systems director Paul Kelsall told Computing. 'You will also be able to put your logo or a picture next to it.' The technology is being developed by Lockheed Martin, the company which supplies Royal Mail with its sorting machines.
• The Times of Zambia has reported that "the merger between DHL, the international courier company with the Deutche Post Euro Express and Dansas will not be allowed in Zambia until the two firms seek authorisation from the Zambia Competition Commission (ZCC).

January 31, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that Japanese "Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi insisted Friday there would be no financial crisis in the world's second-largest economy, promising tax cuts and pleading for time for reforms to work. Beginning in April, Japan will open its postal services to competition and convert the agency into a public corporation, which Koizumi eventually wants to privatize. He has yet to say if he will try to scale back government control of Japan's postal savings system, the world's biggest savings bank with more than US$2 trillion in deposits."

January 31, 2003 -- DM News has reported that "Convergys has won a four-year contract to provide call center services for the U.S. Postal Service, apparently wresting the USPS from rival firm TeleTech."

January 31, 2003 -- Ha'aretz (Israel) has reported that "some 5,000 Postal Authority employees are going on strike Friday in protest of the authority's plan to lay off 270 workers as part of a cost-cutting drive, ahead of its privatization mid-year. As a result of the strike, 230 post office branches are closed to the public as of Friday. However, some 400 private post offices operating as franchises of the Postal Authority will remain open. These offices offer the same services as regular post offices with the exception of foreign currency transactions."

January 31, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that "a draft bill prepared by the Office of Personnel Management to allow the U.S. Postal Service to reduce its annual payments to the Civil Service Retirement System would improve the Postal Service's fiscal position but could increase budget deficits by as much as $41 billion over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office said."

January 31, 2003 -- Die Welt (Germany) has reported that "Germany's post office association, PAGD, is thought to be unhappy with the new deals being offered to its members by Deutsche Post (DP), which runs the postal service in the country. The association has complained that its members are being forced to sign contracts 25-35 per cent down on their last ones, with cancellation the cost of failing to sign. The company defended the move, saying the business needed to become more economically efficient. DP announced a strict cost-cutting plan when it was forced to cut its carriage charges by the regulator."

January 30, 2003 -- The latest issue of the PostCom Bulletin is available on this site. If you're not getting the PostCom Bulletin on a regular basis, why not ask how you can have the Bulletin delivered to you every week. You should know what you've been missing. Want a sample of our Bulletin? Just ask for it.

January 30, 2003 -- In response to the General Accounting Office's recently released report, U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Chief Financial Officer Richard Strasser said that the Postal Service "will continue our focused efforts to implement the Plan, both today and over the coming years. We are also working closely with the President's Commission on the U.S. Postal Service as it identifies the operational, structural, and financial challenges facing the Postal Service; examines potential solutions; and recommends legislative and administrative steps to ensure the long-term viability of postal service in the United States."

January 30, 2003 -- The Congressional Budget Office has posted its report House Budget Committee chairman Nussle on its web site. It said in part:

Although reducing the Postal Service's payments to the retirement fund would improve the agency's internal fiscal position, it could increase deficits or reduce surpluses in the unified budget by as much as $10 billion to $15 billion over the 2003-2007 period and by as much as $36 billion to $41 billion over the 2003-2013 period. The impact would depend on whether the Postal Service responded to its improved fiscal position by delaying increases in postage rates, by increasing spending, by repaying debt owed to the Treasury, or by some combination thereof.

A more-complete accounting for retirement costs, however, involves more than how pensions are funded. It takes into account all retirement costs, including health benefits. The Postal Service accounts for pension obligations as they are earned by its employees, but it does not do the same for retiree health benefits. Those benefits are paid for when its workers become retirees. Although that is true for all federal agencies, it is particularly important for the Postal Service, which is required to set postal rates to cover its full costs. Failure to recognize retiree health insurance benefits as workers accrue them will only push those costs into the future. If the Postal Service accounted for and funded both retiree pensions and health benefits as they were earned by its employees, its operating costs would be higher, and some combination of increased postal rates or cost savings would be required. Those changes would reduce overall budget deficits or increase surpluses.

January 30, 2003 -- BruneiDirect.com has reported that "the [Brunei] Postal Services Department handled more than 13,041,000 mails on year 2002, which was a record. That was one reason that led some of the mail not delivered on time. The Permanent Secretary at the Communications Ministry Dato Haji Abdullah said it is undeniable that among the causes of some of the mail delivered late was due to the staff of the Postal Services Department itself. Others include less public cooperation in assisting postmen to do their job. Often mail was posted without complete or incorrect addresses, houses of buildings not having any post boxes, dogs without leash, occupants changing addresses and other problems, which are beyond the department's control.

January 30, 2003 -- In its most recent report on the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. General Accounting Office said that "the Service has made progress in addressing its challenges and has developed a Transformation Plan (the Plan) that contains steps to guide it in the future. Challenges remain, however, and leadership and sustained attention by the Service will be critical to carrying out its transformation." GAO's report on the Office of Personnel Management's review of the Postal Service's funding of its Civil Service Retirement liabilities will be issued tomorrow.

January 30, 2003 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "the European Union Commission is planning to take legal action against Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark over laws allowing government influence in former state-owned companies. The Commission is concerned about Dutch laws regarding TPG NV (TP) and Royal KPN NV as well."

January 30, 2003 -- The Institut D'Economie Industrielle will be holding its third conference on "Regulation, Competition and Universal Service in the Postal Sector" in Toulouse, France on November 13-14, 2003. The purpose of the conference is to discuss recent theoretical and applied research dealing with competition regulation and universal service in the postal sector, and to provide a forum of discussion and dialogue between practionners and academic researchers. Among the topics discussed: Industrial economics and econometrics in postal sector; Competition policy in a liberalized postal sector; Cost of universal service and universal service fund; and Universal service and competition Price regulation in the postal sector. More information for those interested in submitting papers has been posted on this site.

January 30, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that:

• United Parcel Service has introduced a new service that combines global express delivery with consolidated customs clearance UPS said the service, UPS World Ease, will enable customers to ship multiple packages to many destinations in the same country as a single shipment
• Deutsche Post Global Mail USA has restructured its services and customer support The Herndon, Va-based magazine and direct mail provider had its products into three groups: Global Mail Business, Global Mail Publication, and Global Mail Parcel Each of them retains the three service levels previously offered -priority, standard and economy The subsidiary of German-based Deutsche Post World Net said each product group has a manager and account representatives to offer customer support

January 30, 2003 -- AFP Asia has reported that "the [Japanese] Postal Services Agency is considering adopting a system that allows officials to apply for promotions, in a move to shift its seniority-based system to a merit-based one The plan is expected to become the personnel system for a public postal corporation to be established April 1 to take over the currently state-run postal services of mail delivery, postal savings and 'kampo' life insurance"

January 30, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "Dutch mail, express and logistics company TPG on Thursday declined to comment on a report in the Financial Times it was interested in buying the logistics unit of UK business services group Hays"

January 30, 2003 -- XtraMSN has reported that "New Zealand state-owned Kiwibank said that 100,000 customers had signed up in inside its first year of operation, ahead of forecasts Kiwibank, owned by state-owned postal services company New Zealand Post, began operation in February 2002 and expects to lose money until its third year of operation"

January 30, 2003 -- Canada Post and Borderfree Ltd have announced a partnership that will provide Canadian catalogue and Internet shoppers with broader product selection and a seamless, hassle-free cross- border shopping experience, while supporting US merchants with an integrated technology, marketing and logistics solution for accessing the Canadian marketplace Currently 40 per cent of all Canadian online purchases are from US web sites and Canadian catalogue and Internet shoppers are experiencing a number of frustrations including limited choice and access to US merchants Higher domestic pricing, hidden charges, high shipping costs, long delivery times and difficulties involved in returning items and getting duties and taxes reimbursed are among the concerns expressed by Canadian consumers The Canada Post/Borderfree Partnership will solve many of the problems created by the complexities involved in cross-border transactions"

January 30, 2003 -- SinoCast has noted that "as China is getting its state-owned Parcel Service Company of China Post ready for public listing, Deutsche Post intends to purchase some of its stock, noted spokesman of Deutsche Post lately in Bonn Deutsche Post has started various effective collaborations with China since 1986 Chinese market for postal service expands very fast and is very promising Business of Deutsche Post in China has been growing very rapidly Therefore, Deutsche Post has the intention to expand its business in China"

January 30, 2003 -- The Globe and Mail (Canada) has reported that "the Opposition called yesterday for an investigation into Canada Post's purchase of a half-stake in a messenger service owned by a Liberal fundraiser and into the postal service's backing of the company's controversial expansion"

January 30, 2003 -- The Wa ll Street Journal has reported that "the US Postal Service, continuing to trim its enormous work force as first-class mail volume shrinks and mail-handling technology improves, is seeking approval to offer early retirement to about 58,000 workers In a letter to the federal Office of Personnel Management, the Postal Service said it wants to offer early retirement to certain clerks, maintenance employees, motor-vehicle operators and other workers who are members of the American Postal Workers Union because there will be about 16,000 more union employees than are needed by Sept 30" See also the Washin gton Post

January 30, 2003 -- The Denve r Business Journal has reported that "Denver-based TeleTech Holdings Inc has lost its $56 million annual contract with the United States Postal Service (USPS) The contract represented 55 percent of TeleTech's 2002 revenues TeleTech provides call-center services to the USPS from two US-based customer management centers"

January 30, 2003 -- Onlineie (Ireland) has reported that "the Communications Regulator says An Post will not be introducing gate boxes until final consultations are agreed between herself and the postal service Etain Doyle was questioned about An Post's plans by the joint Oireachtas committee on communications today Ms Doyle says she will have the final say on the proposals based upon her findings"

January 30, 2003 -- Gha na Web has reported that "the management of the Ghana Postal Services Corporation (Ghana Post) spent last week brainstorming on how it can efficiently serve its customers in the wake of the 904 per cent rise in fuel prices"

January 29, 2003 -- The Mailers Council's Robert McLean has reported that "House Appropriations Chairman Young says he may merge Transportation and Treasury-Postal Service panels to make room for subcommittee on Homeland Security Rep Istook would remain chairman

January 29, 2003 -- The Speaker of the US House of Representatives has appointed the following conferees on HJR 2, omnibus appropriations bill: Young (FL), Regula, Rogers (KY), Wolf, Kolbe, Walsh, Taylor (NC), Hobson, Istook, Bonilla, Knollenberg, Kingston, Obey, Murtha, Dicks, Sabo, Mollohan, Kaptur, Visclosky, Lowey, Serrano, and Moran (VA) Let the conferencing begin!

January 29, 2003 -- According to Operations & Fulfillment, "online retailers fared better than their land-based counterparts this past holiday season, and here's some quantitative evidence why According to a recent study by the e-tailing group inc, paying more attention to customer service and order fulfillment yielded substantial payoffs for e-merchants"

January 29, 2003 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal) has reported that:

• The French La Poste’s CEO, Mr Jean-Paul Bailly has presented his company’s 5-year strategy plan, which comprises stronger partnerships with other European post companies and with one or several globally active service providers, the completion of La Poste's own European network as well as investments in new parcel and express transshipment centres
• According to the Japanese paper 'Nihon Keizai', UPS is planning an important extension of its own network in Japan The paper reports that the integrator intends to create up to 30% more jobs in Japan next year
• A recent report by the Austrian National Audit Office reveals to what extent stamps can constitute a profitable business line for post companies

CEP News is without a doubt one of the best newsletters you can find that focuses on the courier, express, and postal market If you don't get it, when it comes to the CEP business worldwide, you REALLY won't "get it" For more information on a subscription to CEP News, contact the publisher

January 29, 2003 -- Traffic World has reported that:

• The unionized LTL carriers' dreams of an early settlement to the National Master Freight Agreement negotiations went up in smoke last week as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters abruptly broke off talks and called for a strike authorization vote The snag is a proposed co-payment for rank-and-file Teamsters for their health care coverage Currently Teamsters covered by the National Master Freight Agreement make no co-payments for health insurance and any demand for a co-pay is perceived by the union as a major give-back
• The Federal Aviation Administration should have the authority to open any package shipped by air to check for dangerous goods and hazardous materials, and the Transportation Security Administration should "adopt a risk-management approach to combat terrorism" via air cargo, the General Accounting Office recommended in two reports issued recently Shippers and carriers could see greater delays, more frequent enforcement and more severe penalties for hazmat regulation violations if the hazmat report's recommendations are acted upon

January 29, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "transportation conglomerate CNF Inc said net income totaled $22 million in the fourth quarter, compared to a net loss of $2171 million for the same period a year ago Revenue totaled $128 billion, up from $114 billion the previous year, while operating income was $54 million, compared to a loss of $337 million a year ago The turnaround was spurred by a dramatic improvement at Emery Forwarding, which had an operating profit of $46 million on revenue of $4974 million"

January 29, 2003 -- The Charlotte Observer has reported that "a legal defense foundation filed charges with a labor board on Tuesday challenging a contract signed by United Parcel Service and the Teamsters union The contract, which was negotiated last July, covers more than 200,000 employees of the package delivery company and gives them a 22 percent pay raise over the next six years Attorneys from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation say the contract also illegally requires company officials to pressure workers to join the union"

January 29, 2003 -- "Would you open the box?" That, said the Sun-Herald, was "the question posed by a commercial for international delivery service Federal Express on Sunday's Super Bowl"

January 29, 2003 -- The President's Commission on the Postal Service has noted in the Federal Register that it "is committed to ensuring that every affected and interested party has an opportunity to share its views and concerns with us Any party that wishes to submit a written statement on any issue or issues that fall within the established scope of the Commission's mission is strongly encouraged to do so The Commission has established three methods by which statements can be submitted for consideration and review"

January 29, 2003 -- The Federal Times has reported that "thousands of postal workers could take early retirement this year if the Office of Personnel Management approves a US Postal Service plan to reduce the work force Early retirement would be offered to American Postal Workers Union members from April 1 through Sept 30 under the Postal Service’s plan"

January 29, 2003 -- As DM News has noted, "an amendment addressing the US Postal Service's funding of a retirement plan has been added to a report accompanying the Senate version of the omnibus fiscal 2003 appropriations bill Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-TN, added the amendment last week The appropriations bill, HJ Res 2, could be passed as early as today Sen Susan Collins, R-ME, who heads the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, reportedly has prepared a bill to change the funding but is waiting to see whether the GAO report contradicts the OPM before she introduces it"

January 29, 2003 -- According to YLEOnline (Finland), "people in Finland are generally more content than other EU citizens with infrastructure services such as transport, information technology and energy deliveries The Finnish Post earned the highest rating"

January 29, 2003 -- Aft enposten (Norway) has reported that its "English Web Desk has received many letters from readers upset over new fees and delays involved in receiving packages from the US" It provided a sample of their responses

January 29, 2003 -- According to the Arab News (Saudi Arabia), "the Postal Department has readied 30 motorcycles for service during Haj, Salim Al-Silmy, director of posts in Makkah, told Al-Madinah newspaper The main purpose of this is to provide fast service for pilgrims He encouraged postal workers to work hard to provide good services this season"

January 29, 2003 -- Xinhua Financial News has reported that "China's State Postal Bureau (China Post) is aiming to double its profit to 240 million yuan (US$2892 million) and increase its revenue by 78 percent to 55 billion yuan in 2003, the first year of the end of the government's subsidies to China Post, Postmaster General Liu Liqing said The China Business Times said the target is quite a formidable one, as China Post only recorded 120 million yuan in profit in 2002, helped by one billion yuan worth of subsidies from the government The newspaper said China Post started to receive government subsidies in 1999, when the state post bureau spun off its telecommunications businesses China Post received eight billion yuan in subsidies in 1999, decreasing to five billion yuan in 2000, three billion yuan in 2001 and one billion yuan in 2002"

January 29, 2003 -- According to the Moscow Times, "the number of Internet outlets at post offices has risen to 6,600 from about 1,000 a year ago, a representative of the Communication Ministry's postal department said Ilya Genkin said the postal service has been implementing the project, named Cyberpost, using its own funds as well as some unspecified loans He added that public access Internet outlets served more than 200,000 people in December The project, which was launched on Aug 1, 2001, envisages Internet outlets in all of Russia's 40,000 post offices" See also the report by the BBC Monitoring Service

January 29, 2003 -- According to the Irish Times, "the European Commission has sought yet more information from the Government about the terms of An Post's contract to deliver social welfare payments"

January 29, 2003 -- "The issue," claimed the Nortwest Indiana Times is "cutting back on customer service Our opinion: It is unfortunate that the US Postal Service has to risk further damage to its reputation, but most customers have other options besides visiting the post office"

January 29, 2003 -- The Atlanta Journal Constitution has reported that "Atlanta-based United Parcel Service reported a 133 percent increase in fourth-quarter net income, helped in large part by the final settlement of a tax dispute with the Internal Revenue Service The company's international business operations also helped boost the bottom line The package-delivery service, however, said it continues to be hurt by the struggling US economy, with a 13 percent volume decline during the quarter, although that was an improvement over the two previous quarters"

January 29, 2003 -- Alan Robinson and Krisshawn Stanley, in a paper entitled "Who Has The Advantage?" note that "the current parcel delivery industry includes firms that operate under different legislative and regulatory frameworks These differences are a legacy of the different origins of the various carriers and the type of services that the competitor provided under their original charter The differences are currently of interest because competitors now seek to make changes in the framework under which they operate or challenge the authority of existing operators to provide service"

January 28, 2003 -- In his most recent perspective for Direct magazine, postal commentator Gene Del Polito said that "despite what happens within the telemarketing and Internet marketing arena, mail most likely will remain the communication alternative that will remain most unencumbered by state and federal regulation And, despite all that's been done to electrify and digitize America, mail will remain for the foreseeable future as the only medium that makes it possible to communicate with every business and individual in the nation"

January 28, 2003 -- Escher Group Limited, a leading provider of peer-to-peer messaging and data management solutions, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Fujitsu Services to extend the service term of its counter automation installation at the UK's Post Office Limited The contract will now run until March 2010 and extends several existing agreements between Fujitsu Services and Escher It covers the full range of Escher products that are currently in use by Post Office Ltd, including Riposte(R), WebRiposte(TM), and Mails(TM)"

January 28, 2003 -- East Bay Newspapers has reported that "for 14 years, she was the help behind of the counter Now, she needs a bit of her own Barrington native Jane McNally-Bowness, 41, a window clerk at the Barrington post office since 1988, is battling advanced breast and bone cancer, illnesses she found out about early last year after giving birth to her second daughter, Lorreen The 1980 Barrington High School graduate has been out of work since November and, with most of her disability leave exhausted and medical bills mounting, her friends and co-workers are planning a fundraiser for her this coming Valentine’s Day, Feb 14 For more information, contact Mr Bisbano at 401-474-0084 or write to him at Post Office Box 335, Barrington, RI 02806"

January 28, 2003 -- As the W all Street Journal has noted, "free shipping has become the online-shopping equivalent of frequent-flier miles for travelers Take it away, and you're likely to have customer rebellion, analysts say Keep it, and you could be eating millions in costs But like it or not -- and customers love it -- online companies are having to offer and keep free-shipping promotions to lure more mainstream buyers onto the Internet"

January 28, 2003 -- In his latest communication to his membership, American Postal Workers Union (APWU) President William Burrus reported that "the union has received a copy of the Postal Service’s request to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for authority to offer employees represented by the APWU Voluntary Early Retirement The USPS seeks to offer “early outs” to APWU-represented employees from April 1 through Sept 30, 2003 The request is in accordance with the terms of the contract extension ratified by APWU members last month In a letter to OPM dated Jan 23, Chief Operating Officer Patrick F Donahoe wrote, 'At this time, there are approximately 16,000 positions represented by the APWU excess to the needs of the service nationwide by September 30 We anticipate that approximately 50 percent of these positions will be vacated through normal attrition' Voluntary Early Retirement Authority will help the Postal Service reduce a portion of the balance of that number, he wrote"

January 28, 2003 -- Onlineie

January 28, 2003 -- The Board of Governors of the US Postal Service will conduct its monthly meeting in Las Vegas, NV, at the Four Seasons Hotel located at 3960 Las Vegas Boulevard South, on Monday and Tuesday, Feb 3-4, 2003 Among the topics discussed will be a presentation on the Corporate Flats Strategy by Senior Vice President, Operations, John Rapp

January 28, 2003 -- The Cleveland Plain-Dealer has reported that "a US Postal Service manager was forced to disrobe and walk naked in front of about a dozen employees yesterday morning by a colleague who threatened to kill her unless she complied" Talk about nuts

January 28, 2003 -- Traffic World has reported that "a recent federal appeals court decision is being heralded as a big win for shippers The court ordered a trucking company to pay a greeting card manufacturer the full invoice value of a shipment of Christmas cards that was lost and arrived four months behind schedule"

January 28, 2003 -- Commuter/Regional Airline News has reported that "the US Postal Service has laid out its new program for moving the mail to and from rural areas It has developed a 'matrix' of routes that will enable regional carriers to know which routes and under what conditions the mail will be offered for air transport The Postal Service will also operate under a different contract philosophy than the one currently in use with the US regional carriers Although still allowing regionals to carry the mail, the new system will be "a significant departure from the current process of negotiated set rate contracting," according to the Postal Service It will also include provisions for recognition of code share partners and subcontracting The terms of the new contract proposal and how it will impact the regional cargo carriers that fly the mail was the subject of a pre-bidding conference held in Washington, DC, on Jan 13 The new contract will replace the Air Systems-Regional (ASYS-R) contract that will expire on May 30"

January 28, 2003 -- Klaus Zumwinkel, chief executive of Deutsche Post AG, talks with Bloomberg's Andreas Scholz about the impact of a war against Iraq on the company, the possibility of increasing its market share in the US and the outlook for 2003 They speak at the World Economic Forum There's a catch, though The interview is in German

January 28, 2003 -- The East African Standard (Kenya) has reported that the "employees of the Postal Corporation of Kenya, Western region are up in arms against the management over alleged harassment and infringement of human rights"

January 27, 2003 -- Expansion (Spain) has reported that "the management board of Correos y Telegrafos, the Spanish post office, yesterday approved the appointment of Victor Calvo-Sotelo as new chairman"

January 27, 2003 -- South American Business Information has reported that "the international courier company DHL Worldwide Express has announced the entry into operation of the first aircraft of the 34 plane fleet which it intends to develop DHL, owned by the German postal service (Deutsche Post Euro Express) and the Danzas company, plans to have the most advanced fleet of planes in this sector"

January 27, 2003 -- AGI Online has reported that " Massimo Sarmi, the managing director of the Italian postal System, became a member of the board of directors of the International Post Corporation, elected by a shareholder assembly held on January 24 in Brussels This is the first time that a director of the Italian postal system has joined this important international organization In their first meeting, the board nominated Helge Israelen, CEO of Post Denmark, as chairman and Klaus Zumwinkel, chairman of Deutsche Post, as deputy chairman The board of IPC holds three-year terms International Post was created in 1989 by the main European postal systems, the US and Canada, in order to study, develop and supply products and services for their members in the hopes of improving their performance and strengthening their positions in an ever-more competitive market

January 27, 2003 -- Smiths Detections has been selected as part of the Northrop Grumman team to fulfill a pre-production contract for 19 bio-agent detection systems (BDS) for the US Postal Service (USPS) This follows further development of a system already piloted by the USPS and is expected to lead to a multi-million dollar production contract in the near future Nearly 300 sorting offices nationwide are expected to install the detection system that is designed to help protect postal employees from the threat of bioterrorism

January 27, 2003 -- The Associated Press has reported that "people who want their mail held or need to schedule a package delivery can now arrange for the service online The Postal Service said Monday it has added those services to its web page at wwwuspscom"

January 27, 2003 -- According to the New York Times, "newspapers and political organizations are engaged in technological one-upmanship over 'AstroTurf' — letters to the editor that look like authentic grass-roots responses from readers but are not"

January 27, 2003 -- At its regularly scheduled winter meeting the Board of Directors of the Association for Postal Commerce the following were elected as new directors of the association: Paul Imbeierowicz (Abacus), Jose M Pariente (International Masters Publishers), the Honorable Wayne A Schley (United Parcel Service) Schley, as many will recall, served for many years as the staff director of the Senate Rules Committee, as chief postal aide to Sen Ted Stevens of Alaska, and as a Commissioner on the Postal Rate Commission

January 27, 2003 -- Do w Jones has reported that "In their desperation to get a decent, uninterrupted kip each night, residents living near some European airports are starting to give executives like Thomas Weidemeyer a few restless nights of their own Weidemeyer is the chief operating officer of United Parcel Service (UPS), the US company with a firm footprint in Europe Companies like his and European businesses which rely heavily on next-day deliveries - particularly manufacturers - are threatened by a clampdown on nightflying at some of Europe's major airports, like Brussels, Lisbon, Frankfurt and Paris' Charles de Gaulle Nightflying is an important factor in enabling express parcel services like UPS to get customers' packages to their destination by the following morning"

January 27, 2003 -- The Telegraph (UK) has reported that "Royal Mail's rivals are considering making a formal complaint to the competition authority in Brussels which could lead to VAT being put on bulk business mail and parcel delivery Hays' tact: post office competitor Hays DX wants stamps to remain VAT-free Representatives from Business Post, Dutch postal operator TPG and Hays DX held a meeting in Brussels earlier this month to argue that the current legislation, which exempts Royal Mail from charging VAT, gives it an unfair advantage"

January 27, 2003 -- The Citizen Times has reported that "on Sunday, the 18 soldiers of the 2nd Platoon of the 449 Adjutant General Company had the chance to publicly say goodbye to their own families as the Army Reserve postal unit was called to active duty With the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf for a possible war against Iraq, these soldiers will make sure the mail from home gets to the troops"

January 26, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "Danzas, the logistics subsidiary of Deutsche Post World Net, said it has signed with Lemuir Group of India to form a joint logistics venture, Danzas Lemuir Pvt Ltd"

January 26, 2003 -- An Airborne Express courier was sentenced today by US District Judge Stephen M Orlofsky to five months in federal prison and five months house arrest for sending threats to injure others in connection with an anthrax and smallpox hoax he perpetrated in October 2001

January 26, 2003 -- The Independent (United Kingdom) has reported that "Martin O'Neill, the Labour chairman of the powerful Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, is leading a backbench revolt over the Government's decision to phase out benefit payments through post offices Mr O'Neill has put down an early day motion calling on ministers to ensure that there is a level playing field when claimants come to decide whether to continue drawing their benefits using a Post Office card account or have them paid direct into bank accounts"

January 26, 2003 -- The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has reported that "a House committee on Friday endorsed a resolution urging the US postmaster general not to move a mail processing center from Fort Smith to Fayetteville The House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee sent House Resolution 1002, by Rep Jim Medley, R-Fort Smith, to the House over the objections of state Rep Bill Pritchard, who represents Fayetteville 'This is not a Fayetteville versus Fort Smith [issue],' Medley told the committee 'To my knowledge, Fayetteville has not requested this, and I believe they currently have a processing service center that serves Northwest Arkansas' Medley said his constituents fear they will lose 'a quick, daily, next-day service' if the mail processing center in Fort Smith is transferred to Fayetteville The transfer would mean the loss of 50 to 60 jobs in Fort Smith, but these people won't be able to work at the Fayetteville center because it is overstaffed, he said

January 26, 2003 -- The Postal Service will hold the first meeting of a Consensus Committee to develop recommendations for revision of USPS STD 4B, which governs the design of apartment house mailboxes The committee will develop and adopt its recommendations through a consensus process The committee will consist of persons who represent the interests affected by the proposed rule, including apartment house type mailbox manufacturers, mailbox distributors, mailbox installers and servicers, postal customers, and apartment house builders, owners and managers

January 26, 2003 -- The Edmunton Sun (Canada) has reported that "a World Vision fund-raising mailout asking people to rush donations in to avoid a possible Canada Post strike is misleading advertising, postal officials say The mailout - sent this month and last - says, 'Possible Canada Post strike this month' The Crown corporation is in negotiations with the union, but to claim that a strike is looming i 'totally unfounded,' Canada Post spokesman Teresa Williams told The Sun yesterday 'It certainly puts fear in people when fear is not warranted,' Williams said 'It is inappropriate and unfair to cause that kind of fear and panic in individuals'" See also the Ottawa Sun News

January 25, 2003 -- The US Postal Service is publishing an interim rule to provide "standards for a Postal Service experiment testing whether additional rate incentives would encourage the co-palletization and drop-shipment of currently sacked bundles of individual Periodicals publications"

January 24, 2003 -- Expansion (Spain) has reported that "following his appointment as the new head of Correos, the Spanish post office, Victor Calvo-Sotelo has two challenges to face in his new role: first, the deregulation of the market and the arrival of many new companies in the sector; second, the process of diversification that was started by his predecessor, Alberto Nunez Feijoo Around 200 companies, grouped under the employers' association Asempre, have already filed a complaint against Correos for abuse of dominant position Specifically, Asempre claims that the state-controlled operator has committed fraudulent practices in order to destroy competition The Spanish professional press association (APP) has also filed a complaint against Correos for discriminating in favour of the association of daily publishers"

January 24, 2003 -- The Mani lla Bulletin (Philippines) has reported that "President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday reassigned retired Gen Diomedio P Villanueva, former Armed Forces chief of staff, from the Public Estates Authority (PEA) to the Philippine Postal Corp (PhilPost) as postmaster general and chief executive officer"

January 24, 2003 -- Daniel R Moll, Deputy Staff Director to the House Government Reform Committee, has joined Bergner, Bockorny, Castagnetti, Hawkins and Brain, one of Washington's foremost government relations consulting firms Moll will serve as Vice President of the firm For the past six years Moll has served as the Deputy Staff Director of the House Government Reform Committee

January 24, 2003 -- As a part of the US Postal Service's continuing effort to serve America's small business community, the Chicago District is offering training for preferred customers (small to medium sized businesses) via a live Webcast on wwwuspspreferredcom, January 30, 2003, from 10 am until Noon at the City Colleges of Chicago, 226 W Jackson Street, in Chicago

January 24, 2003 -- House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) told a National Press Club audience that he will not create a subcommittee that focuses exclusively on the Postal Service Instead, he said that postal matters would be addressed by a "task force" that will serve under the leadership of former postal subcommittee chairman John McHugh (R-NY)

January 24, 2003 -- The US Postal Service has asked participants in past rate cases to determine whether they support or oppose the idea of "phasing" the next round of postal rate increases, if a postal rate case must be filed in 2003 This must is contingent on whether Congress does or does not approve a proposal advanced by the Office of Personnel Management to change the manner in which the Postal Service funds its Civil Service Retirement System obligations

January 24, 2003 -- The Senate has appointed the following conferees to HJRes 2, the Omnibus Appropriations bill: Stevens; Cochran; Specter; Domenici; Bond; McConnell; Burns; Shelby; Gregg; Bennett; Campbell; Craig; Hutchison; DeWine; Brownback; Byrd; Inouye; Hollings; Leahy; Harkin; Mikulski; Reid; Kohl; Murray; Dorgan; Feinstein; Durbin; Johnson; Landrieu This is the group that will be considering with their House counterparts a proposal to change the manner in which the Postal Service funds its Civil Service Retirement System obligations Let's hope they "do the right thing"

January 24, 2003 -- The Financial Times has reported that "frustrated customers who arrive at post offices without cash or cheques have long cursed the service's inability to take cards for payment Today, the Post Office will announce that from April it will accept debit cards"

January 24, 2003 -- Do w Jones has reported that "Dutch postal and logistics company TPG NV has acquired German unaddressed mail company Werbeagentur Fischer for an undisclosed sum The company, based in Bergen in Bavaria, has a route-based delivery network covering 300,000 households in south-eastern Germany Werbeagentur is market leader in its field, TPG said, delivering 132 million leaflets in 2002"

January 24, 2003 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "when Karla Corcoran became the US Postal Service's first inspector general in 1997, she set out to create a workplace that wasn't typical of federal bureaucracies "We really wanted an IG shop that was different," Ms Corcoran says She certainly has succeeded In an agency charged with combating waste to keep stamp prices down, employees sometimes play elaborate games to encourage teamwork and innovation, once building tents out of newspapers and another time barking a Christmas carol A conference room is littered with toys, especially stuffed pigs (for "postal inspector general"), including one with wings suspended overhead (as in, "when pigs fly," a slap at naysayers who fought the office's creation) Cubicle assignments are random, scattering workers throughout their Arlington, Va, headquarters to combat interoffice balkanization, but employees say communication suffers"

January 24, 2003 -- The Malta Independent has reported that "early yesterday morning, the UHM ordered Maltapost workers at the Central Mail Room in Valletta to work to rule The UHM also ordered a 'one-postman-one-delivery' system and ordered Gozitan employees to stick to the old routes rather than the newly-introduced ones The industrial dispute reached boiling point when the union was informed that the company’s management threatened to suspend workers following the union’s directives"

January 24, 2003 -- The Baltic News Service has reported that "a total of 5467 million paid ordinary letters and postcards were sent via Eesti Post (Estonian Post) in December 2002, which marks an increase of 25 percent over the same month a year ago"

January 24, 2003 -- The Financial Times has reported that:

• Victor Calvo-Sotelo, current manager of institutional relations at Spanish telecoms group Auna, has been named as the new chairman of the Spanish post office, Correos y Telegrafos, by the Spanish development and treasury ministers
• More than 80 PR and comms jobs are likely to be axed as the Royal Mail Group undergoes a company-wide restructure The planned management buy-out of the group's Communications Services unit (PRWeek, 6 December 2002) has been shelved and the team is instead to be merged with the central corporate comms office and other PR staff across the group

January 24, 2003 -- Asian news sources have reported that China Post and the Mail-order Company of China Post co-founded the Chain Post Logistics Co, Ltd in Beijing This is the first subsidiary founded by China Post since 1998 that the company separated from the Ministry of Post and Telecom The new company's businesses range from cargo shipment, delivery, storage, load and unload, to mail-order of home appliances, stationery and sports commodities, to e-commerce, real estate, and information consulting Also from Asia, the vice-director of China Post expressed that China Post gained total gross sales of RMB 500 million in 2002, the net profits were RMB 10 million In 2001, China Post kept balance of profit and loss

January 24, 2003 -- The Flint Journal has reported that "the US Postal Service's Flint processing and distribution center almost surely will close, in six months in the worst case and four years in the best, a top postal official said Wednesday The closing would displace about 300 workers, a huge loss of income tax for the city"

January 24, 2003 -- GovExecCom has reported that "a federal appeals court has ruled that the Merit Systems Protection Board must reconsider a decision that allowed the Postal Service to fire an employee who was allegedly involved in an illegal scheme to help a co-worker obtain a mortgage"

January 24, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "Japan's biggest computer maker, Fujitsu Ltd has won a seven-year deal worth 650 million pounds ($105 billion) to manage and maintain Britain's post office computer systems run by Royal Mail"

January 24, 2003 -- The Stevens Point Journal has reported that "operating post offices the size of Amherst Junction or Custer costs around $135,000 a year, according to the postal service Nationally, the average postmaster earns $45,000 to $51,000 a year, according to Pam Meehan-Smith, a postal service spokeswoman in Madison Meehan-Smith said 60 to 70 percent of the nation's post offices don't make enough money to break even As long as other post offices make up the loss, there isn't a problem, she said"

January 24, 2003 -- DM News has reported that "AmeriComm LLC, which offers direct marketing agency and production services, bought Fastlistcom from ChoicePoint Asset Co, an Atlanta provider of risk and marketing information to the insurance industry Fastlist brings a database of 52 million residential households"

January 24, 2003 -- The Washin gton Post has reported that "the new chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, Sen Susan Collins (R-Maine), signaled yesterday that she is open to revamping the federal pay system if it will help the government build a higher-quality workforce" Good! Let's start with the Postal Service Continuing to pay the CEO of a $70 billion postal enterprise no more than $167,000 a year is a scandal, if not a joke

January 24, 2003 -- The National Association of Major Mail Users (Canada) has reported that:

• A successful initial market offering at approximately 300 corporate and franchise outlets in the Greater Toronto Area -- excluding rural offices --since Oct 1, 2001, of the Pick-Up @ the Post Office delivery option will now be introduced across Canada effective Jan 13 Pick-Up @ the Post Office is a delivery option for on line shoppers, currently available through Canada Post's Sell Online Shipping Module Customers select a post office for delivery by entering the postal code of the nearest convenient location
• Internicca and Canada Post recently launched a new free domain name search and fee-based registration services via a co-branded website accessible through the Canada Post website Canada Post will also provide marketing support and its expertise in address management Internicca will provide the registration operations, including search, registration process, and fully bilingual online customer support
• Although financial results are not publicly released until March, The Honorable Andre Ouellet, President and CEO, Canada Post Corporation, stated he was confident that the Canada Post Group would reach its earnings before tax goal of $78 million dollars The President participated in an internal national broadcast January 16th to all employees and commented on several aspects of 2002 performance Financials appear on target, delivery performance above expectations, CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) was 3 points shy of the 77 percent target, employee satisfaction level with prior year at 70 percent with a significant increase from 21 to 28 percent of employees who felt "most positive" about working at Canada Post

January 24, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported:

• United Parcel Service has signed an agreement with Chinese cargo airline Yangtze River Express Airlines Co that will expand its service network in China The deal provides regular flights to link UPS's gateway in Shanghai with the major Chinese cities of Beijing, Qingdao, Xiamen and Guangzhou UPS already operates daily flights from Shanghai to major destinations in the US, Europe and Asia
• Francisco X Santeiro, managing director of customs and regulatory affairs for the Latin America and Caribbean Division of FedEx Express, has been named president of the board of directors of the Latin American Conference of Express Companies He succeeds Greg Sandoval of TNT Express

January 24, 2003 -- Stampscom has filed a patent counterclaim against Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) alleging that Pitney Bowes' DM Series Mailing Systems infringe three Stampscom patents

January 24, 2003 -- Counterpounch wants to know: "Is It Time to Move to Canada?" Maybe not, it said, since "an entirely new model of post-liberal governance seems to be emerging; political scientists, as usual, are behind the curve in anticipating and describing its contours Even the venerable postal service, long operating according to the principles of universal access and uniform rates, is in danger of being privatized"

January 24, 2003 -- Yesma il, Inc, an online relationship marketing company, has announced the availability of Yesmail’s Email-Postal Network, one of the first targeted lists that enables marketers to obtain opt-in email and postal address for the same contact to support multi-channel marketing efforts Yesmail’s new offering can help marketers increase business-to-consumer direct marketing campaign results and their return on investment

January 24, 2003 -- The US Commission on the Postal Service has published its schedule for public hearings

January 24, 2003 -- The Age has reported that "Australia Post has become a major sponsor at the tennis championships to unsettle its competitors, something which on the face of it might seem unlikely for a government-owned domestic monopoly"

January 23, 2003 -- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported that "they had teams of five agents following her around in separate cars They had a time-lapse camera hidden 15 feet up in a tree behind her Verona house They had a global positioning satellite tracking device attached to the bottom of her Chevy conversion van For years, US Postal Inspectors spied on Elaine Borghini, 55, because they suspected her of faking a wrist injury to collect workers' compensation benefits she didn't deserve Yesterday in US District Court, a jury deciding her fate saw the videotaped evidence that surveillance produced

January 23, 2003 -- According to DM News, "the US Postal Service's redesigned Web site debuts today The redesign lets visitors to uspscom find information faster and conduct transactions more easily, the USPS said The site also will have a fresh look and new content

January 23, 2003 -- In the recently released Cato Handbook for Congress, "Director of Fiscal Policy Studies Chris Edwards argues that 'the government is so large that the activities of hundreds of federal agencies are beyond the knowledge and understanding of most citizens' The book suggests that spending can be curbed through privatization of all government-operated businesses, such as the US Postal Service, reductions in discretionary spending from 71 percent of gross domestic product to 5 percent with program terminations, and the establishment on a 'sunset' commission to review all federal programs on a rotating basis and propose major reforms"

January 22, 2003 -- The President's Commission on the United States Postal Service today announced the members of its four subcommittees, which were established during the Commission's Jan 8, 2003 public meeting in Washington, DC The subcommittees are comprised of members of the Commission Commission Co-Chairs James Johnson and Harry Pearce are ex-officio members of each subcommittee

• The Business Model Subcommittee members include Chairman Richard Levin, Don Cogman, Carolyn Gallagher, Norman Seabrook, and Robert Walker The Subcommittee will be responsible for assessing the Postal Service's current "government corporation" business model As part of this assessment, the Subcommittee will study the Postal Service's universal service obligation, the mail delivery infrastructure, the current rate regulation system, and pricing flexibility This Subcommittee will also assess the "Commercial Government Enterprise" business model proposed by the Postal Service in its own Transformation Plan
• The Private-Sector Partnership Subcommittee members include Chairman Joseph Wright, Don Cogman and Norman Seabrook The Subcommittee will be responsible for analyzing the current role of the private sector in the mail delivery system, including negotiated service agreements, outsourcing, and worksharing It will also attempt to identify opportunities for the Postal Service to enter into partnerships with the private sector as it seeks to become more efficient and effective
• The Technology Challenges and Opportunities Subcommittee members include Chairman Robert Walker, Dionel Aviles and Joseph Wright The Subcommittee will be responsible for assessing the impact of new technologies--such online bill payment and presentment, e-mail, and electronic funds transfer--on the Postal Service's business and attempt to determine whether these technologies will continue to erode the Postal Service's market share The Subcommittee will also assess the Postal Service's own technology initiatives and their impact on productivity and financial performance
• The Workforce Subcommittee members include Chairwoman Carolyn Gallagher, Dionel Aviles and Richard Levin The Subcommittee will be responsible for assessing the Postal Service's current collective bargaining and dispute resolution procedures as well as reviewing alternative models It will review employee pay and other associated labor costs; productivity; employee recruitment, training and development; and workers' compensation claims The Workforce Subcommittee will also review the status of the Postal Service's unfunded pension and retiree health care liabilities

January 22, 2003 -- SearchCRMCom has noted that "online bill payment and presentment (OBPP) is gaining steam as a customer strategy For companies, the benefits are clear -- reduced cycle time for bill generation, elimination of printing and mailing costs and immediate credit from the customer's bank account, cutting out a payment time delay Leading organizations from such wide-ranging industries as travel and entertainment, telecom and financial services have aggressively embraced OBPP And the financial rewards are great -- some firms are seeing savings in the millions annually For customers, the primary benefits are convenience, timeliness and saving on checks and postage"

January 22, 2003 -- The Mailers Council has reported that "Tony Viglianti, the USPS' vice president of labor relations, was recently injured in a very serious auto accident His recuperation will be a long one; therefore, PMG Jack Potter has named Doug Tulino as acting VP (202-268-7447)"

January 22, 2003 -- Independent audits and investigations of the US Postal Service by the Office of Inspector General have identified more than $2366 million in potential savings and benefits in the last six month reporting period (April 1 to September 30, 2002), according to the September 2002 Semiannual Report to Congress, just posted on its website at wwwuspsoiggov

January 22, 2003 -- Logistics Management has noted that "on January 6, United Parcel Service (UPS) implemented a general rate increase that is expected to remain in effect for a year, barring any unforeseen circumstances This year's increases are slightly higher than last year's, largely because they follow the signing of a new, six-year contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters that provides for higher wages and retirement benefits than are now in effect For example, rates for UPS Commercial Ground Service, which includes domestic shipments to points in the continental United States, rose by an average of 39 percent Last year, the average increase was 35 percent"

January 22, 2003 -- As Traffic World has noted, "the check may no longer be in the mail for some of the United States' regional air cargo carriers In a sharp blow to a bedrock part of the domestic overnight express business, the country's banks are moving toward a phase-out of the long-standing requirement that paper checks must be physically transferred and cleared by a receiving bank before funds can be transferred from the check writer to the recipient More and more banks are making digital images of checks which they can transfer electronically As a result, express carriers that depend on a steady flow of paper checks to fill planes' bellies are likely to lose that cargo and have to find new sources of revenue"

January 22, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "United Parcel Service named Bob Stoffel, a 28-year company veteran, as president of UPS Supply Chain Solutions Stoffel will oversee global operation for the Supply Chain Solutions unit, which includes UPS Logistics Group and UPS Freight Services Supply Chain Solutions operates in 120 countries and offers logistics, freight forwarding, brokerage and related services"

January 22, 2003 -- The Louisville Courier-Journal has reported that "the Big Brown Truck is getting some help DaimlerChrysler Corp is bringing its Sprinter commercial van to the United States, and one of its primary targets is delivery fleets like the one at United Parcel Service"

January 22, 2003 -- The Asahi Shimbun Competition to manage part of the Postal Public Corp's 26 trillion yen worth of funds is expected to intensify now that the postal ministry plans to expand the service to include investment advisory firms Currently, only trust banks can invest the funds, which are pooled through postal savings and postal life insurance services The Postal Services Agency is in charge of entrusting the funds with the banks

January 22, 2003 -- According to the Jerusalem Post (Israel), "the Postal Authority demanded this week that Cellcom, Pelephone, Leumi Card and Golden Lines stop sending regular bulk-mail letters illegally through the 'New Israeli Mail Entrepreneur' Authority chairman and acting director-general Yossi Shelli said that only the authority is allowed to deliver regular letters"

January 22, 2003 -- Gulf News (UAE) has reported that "a proposal will be put to the board of directors next year to expand Emirates Post's shareholder base, according to a top official 'There is a definite move towards privatisation in the country And Emirates Post now has the financial strength and the back up from its current owners to follow the same direction,' said Abdullah Ibrahim Al Daboos, director general"

January 22, 2003 -- The Peninsula has reported that "Qatar's General Postal Corporation (Q-Posts) recorded an increase of about 20 per cent in the revenues generated by its Express Mail Service-Mumtaz Post during the nine months of the year 2002 while Q-Posts income itself rose by some 10 per cent, the Q-Posts chairman, Ali Mohammad Al Ali, said here yesterday"

January 22, 2003 -- AFX Asia has reported that "courier firm Sokuhai Co has abandoned plans to launch an express mail service due to tight rules put in place by the government under its plan to open the sector to private firms The firm's decision will likely prompt questions about the effectiveness of the effort to open the market to the private sector, the newspaper said Reform of the Post Office is a key policy of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi"

January 22, 2003 -- The Daily Trust (Nigeria) has reported that "the New NIPOST Territorial Headquarters building in Abuja will soon be handed over to the management for commissioning within the first quarter of this year According to a press statement signed by the acting public relations manager of the organisation Taiye Olaniyi, the management renovated 33 post offices across the country through internally generated revenue while more than 15 newly completed ones were commissione Management, he said, was working to intensify efforts to ensure that all major postal establishments are given a face lift this year"

January 22, 2003 -- The Boston Globe has reported that "the US Postal Service building at 390 Stuart St, a Back Bay fixture since 1926, is up for sale Taking advantage of both a red-hot real estate market and the expected sale of three adjacent parcels owned by John Hancock Financial Services, the Postal Service has enlisted the brokerage firm CB Richard Ellis to market the building - possibly in conjunction with the other parcels"

January 22, 2003 -- The Teamsters National Freight Industry Negotiating Committee (TNFINC) unanimously called for a strike-authorization vote after talks broke off early this morning Though negotiators had made significant progress on non-economic issues in the previous days, keeping negotiators working through the holiday weekend, talks broke down when the employers refused to take proposals for health-care co-payments and reductions in health care coverage off the table, at the same time as they proposed a wage package below what was negotiated in 1998

January 22, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "Although the search to fill the important shoes of New York Federal Reserve Bank President William McDonough has only just begun, Treasury's Peter Fisher has emerged as a clear front-runner" Fisher is the Undersecretary at Treasury who helped make the President's Commission on the Postal Service possible

January 21, 2003 -- Pitney Bowes Distribution Solutions (PBDS), a division of Pitney Bowes Inc has announced a reseller agreement with Hazmat Software LLC of Longwood, Fla The agreement brings together PB TMS Enterprise web-based transportation management system with Hazmat Software's best-in-class hazardous materials documentation software, EasyShip Platinum Web(tm)

January 21, 2003 -- SinoCast has reported that "Yangtze Air Express Services Co Ltd, the first courier service company in China obtained Air Carrier Application Certificate from CAAC Eastern China in Shanghai yesterday Granting of the certificate shows that Yangtze Air Express is authorized to operate half year after its registration of company It will also activate its plan of building a Chinese UPS (the largest courier service company in China)"

January 21, 2003 -- "First came the layoffs," reported the Washin gton Post "Then the pay cuts Finally, a slashing of health benefits If times weren't tough enough for airline workers, now some employees at the major carriers face the prospect of a poorer retirement" Looks like the Postal Service isn't the only one facing retirement-related challenges The only difference is the Feds have no intention of going out of business

January 21, 2003 -- The Peninsula (Qatar) has reported that "the General Postal Corporation (Q-Posts) will replace a large portion of its existing post boxes and replace them with the latest, electronic-type ones this year, under a massive expansion programme that the corporation intends to implement this year"

January 21, 2003 -- Campbell-Ewald has been named Adweek Agency of the Year, Midwest for the second consecutive year In 2002 agency wins included the United States Postal Service and National City

January 21, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "United Parcel Service has signed an agreement with a new Chinese all-cargo carrier to handle packages for UPS within China The first route, expected to begin service on Thursday, will connect Shanghai with Xiamen and Guangzhou The aircraft, a 737-300 aircraft formerly owned by Lufthansa, will then return to Shanghai"

January 21, 2003 -- E-Commerce Times has reported that "e-commerce, once the domain of 'geek types' or consumers with high disposable incomes, has hit the mainstream The US Census Bureau says e-commerce spending increased by more than 34 percent year-over-year to US$111 billion from the third quarter of 2001 to the same period in 2002 And sales jumped 24 percent year-over-year, to $137 billion, in the 2002 holiday season"

January 21, 2003 -- Ha'aretz (Israel) has reported that "all Israeli Postal Authority branches are to go on strike Tuesday at 2:30 PM until further notice in protest over a decision to turn the authority into a government-owned company"

January 20, 2003 -- The Times has reported that "the postal regulator is to hold a series of talks with Royal Mail during the next few days, raising hopes that the group will be allowed to raise prices on a range of items. Postcomm has already said that it is prepared to meet Royal Mail’s request to raise first and second-class stamps by 1p. However, in a move that angered Allan Leighton, chairman of Royal Mail, the regulator also set out plans to curb prices on a range of “secondary” items, including airmail and heavy packages. Mr Leighton has said that the move would cost £460 million and that unless they were dropped he would appeal to the Competition Commission."

January 20, 2003 -- The Times of India has reported that "the Postal department would soon sign a memorandum of understanding with cellphone companies for selling pre-paid cards, Tamil Nadu Chief Post Master General U Srinivasa Raghavan on Monday said. He told reporters here that that Bharti Airtel, a cellular service provider, was being provided e.billing facility by the post offices at 38 places through computers. Similar facilities would be extended to other cell phone companies also, he said. The department would also ensure that the Speed Post articles booked at various places were delivered the very next day through all the post offices located in the circle."

January 20, 2003 -- EuropeMe dia.Net has reported that "postal services are under pressure worldwide. With the rise of information technologies, national postal services are increasingly finding themselves having to adapt to new ways of providing service while at the same time balancing budgets. Moreover, a growing number of private companies have entered the postal marketplace, offering similar services, including regular daily mail and parcel delivery."

January 20, 2003 -- Newsday has reported that "City residents could soon find pizza coupons tucked among their property tax bills as lawmakers look for new ways to raise money for the cash-starved city. Some believe selling advertising in such things as garbage bills and employee paychecks could generate millions of dollars in revenue over several years. Council member Joseph Golombek Jr. said discussions with the state attorney general's office have not identified any legal impediments. In the longer term, he said, the direct mail promotions might lead to even more lucrative opportunities, such as selling ad space on city-issued garbage totes or selling naming rights for some public buildings."

January 20, 2003 -- FedEx Express, a FedEx Corp. operating company (NYSE:FDX), expects to receive the first of eight ATR 42-320 aircraft acquired under a definitive purchase agreement with Continental Airlines. FedEx Express will use the ATR 42s within its U.S. domestic feeder operations to support, supplement and enhance the FedEx Express trunk aircraft system. The FedEx Express feeder network helps serve customers in geographic areas where surface transportation is not expedient enough to provide the service level desired. In addition, feeder aircraft are also utilized internationally on scheduled routes and to fulfill various other special aircraft lift requirements."

January 20, 2003 -- The Minneapolis Star Tribune has reported that "Wall Street's main trade group is campaigning to do away with paper stock certificates and instead keep track of all investor holdings electronically. The Securities Industry Association (SIA) is launching a publicity blitz this year to convince publicly traded companies and their shareholders that a paperless world will save money and time. Its effort is aided by a New York Stock Exchange rule adopted this summer that allows listed companies to eschew paper certificates." Good bye mail...?

January 20, 2003 -- The Wash ington Post has reported that "Treasury officials readily acknowledge that the savings-bond program is expensive to administer. But they want to continue it for investors who are seeking a secure investment but who may have only the minimum $25 to buy a single bond, or a few hundred dollars, but not the $1,000 minimum for a Treasury bill or note. The Treasury's goal, one official said, is to reduce the program's cost by eliminating the sale of paper bonds -- now available through about 40,000 financial institutions -- and going entirely electronic, perhaps in two to three years. Within a few weeks, Treasury plans to make it easier to buy bonds using the Internet." Good bye mail...?

January 20, 2003 -- Federal Times has reported that "standardizing bar codes on envelopes and improving mail tracking will be the biggest job of the U.S. Postal Service’s new Intelligent Mail and Address Quality division."

January 20, 2003 -- According to Knox News, "trucking companies, delivery services, taxi drivers, florists and others who earn their money on the road are facing tough decisions about fuel prices that are expected to rise a dime a gallon by this spring - and that's assuming there's no war with Iraq."

January 20, 2003 -- Traffic World has reported that:

• Top logistics providers are shuffling their portfolios to come up with winning combinations of services.
• Traffic World has posted a list of whom it considers "Logistics Leaders" on its web site.
• Smart and Secure Trade lanes has shipped the first wave of containers adapted to its electronic, end-to-end tracking system from Asia to U.S. West Coast ports. Claimed to be the world's largest public-private logistics security initiative, SST also is advancing the development of real-time cargo tracking.
• 2003 finally may be the year for RFID; new technology will change the way warehouses are run, vendors say.

January 20, 2003 -- The European Intelligence Wire has reported that "the Royal Mail is to force its new board directors, including some of the biggest names in the City, to become postmen so that they learn about the business 'from the ground up'. Non-executive directors such as Richard Handover, the chief executive of W H Smith, Mike Hodgkinson, the chief executive of BAA, and John Neill, the chief executive of Unipart, will join postmen on their 5am rounds, perform a stint in sorting offices and drive delivery vans. A postman based in the West End of London, criticised the move as 'patronising' for the people who have to do the jobs every day. 'If they really want to know what it is like, they should do it for two months and then try to live on the wages as well,' he said."

January 20, 2003 -- The Guardian has reported that "struggling Royal Mail is facing a new crisis after more than 30,000 postal workers in the capital launched an unofficial campaign - backed by threatened strikes - for a big increase in London weighting."

January 20, 2003 -- According to Dow Jones, China Post, the country's state-run postal service, has spun off its logistics business into a wholly-owned unit. China Postal Logistics Co. has been set up to tackle growing competition from foreign couriers such as FedEx Corp., United Parcel Service Inc., DHL Worldwide Express Inc. and TPG N.V. that have been making inroads into the country's former monopoly. China is committed to gradually lifting ownership restrictions on foreign express-delivery companies as part of agreements that led to the country's entry into the World Trade Organization in December 2001."

January 20, 2003 -- This Day News (Nigeria) has reported that "The Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) has reiterated its commitment to ensure complete revitalisation of Nigeria's postal system this year. A statement from its territorial headquarters said at the weekend in Abuja that the plan would be achieved through human resource development and the empowerment of its workforce."

January 20, 2003 -- The Evening Star (U.K.) has reported that "new post watchdog Charles Winstanley has branded the Royal Mail a 'Victorian structure' and warned that post offices in East Anglia face a bleak future. Dr Winstanley, chairman of Postwatch East of England, believes the outlook for tens of thousands of staff is bleak as the Royal Mail Group falls behind competitors from leaner firms. He wants to see other firms move in and offer postal services, and argues that Royal Mail services are shrinking."

January 20, 2003 -- Today, the Was hington Post has printed a story that echoes about a hundred others published in newspapers across America for the past month. It concerns the U.S. Postal Service's white plastic tubs mostly used to deliver bulk mail to businesses. These are the containers that make great storage bins, planters and footrests at the office. Enough already! Folks, please return these darn tubs!

January 20, 2003 -- According to the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), "the Postal Service has not been successful in implementing its national-level contract to purchase most office supplies from Boise. Although the national contract was intended to be a mandatory source of office supplies, the Postal Service purchased less than 40 percent of its office supplies from Boise in 2001. GAO found that the Postal Service did not perform as planned under the contract because it did not take sufficient actions to ensure that the contract would be used. As a result, the Postal Service has not been able to realize its estimated annual savings of $28 million. In fact, it was only able to provide documentation for $1 million in savings for 2001. Boise and the Postal Service have not paid sufficient attention to the subcontracting plan.

January 19, 2003 -- The Dover News Journal has reported that "every post office gets mail it simply cannot deliver, and in Dover it's a lot: about 600 pounds a day. Now such bulk mail will be put to use: it will be recycled into paper towels, napkins, bathroom tissue and other household paper products in a partnership between the local post office and the Delaware Solid Waste Authority."

January 19, 2003 -- Les Echos (France) has reported that "Jean-Paul Bailly, chairman of French national postal services group La Poste, has said that his group plans to focus on remaining competitive and has welcomed the government's approval of an increase in the price of stamps."

January 19, 2003 -- Newsday asks: "What's the bill for that bill? As much as $3 a month. For several years, companies have lured customers to pay bills online by dangling a carrot, such as statement credits or gift certificates. But recently a small but growing number of businesses began wielding a stick: charging customers for the privilege of receiving a paper statement. As more consumers go online, telephone companies such as MetroPCS, banks and other businesses hope to switch consumers to online statements and eliminate costs as high as $1.50 per paper statement."

January 18, 2003 -- Moldova Azi has reported that "in conformity with the agreement achieved last November with Greek colleagues, the Posta Moldovei state enterprise has commenced the sending and receipt of monetary transfers to/from Greece. The maximum sum of transfers has been set at $1,000, and of general delivery for guests staying in hotels - $200, in accordance with National Bank regulations. The commission is 5% of the sum transferred. Posta Moldovei practices such transfers with the postal services of 18 countries - 11 CIS republics, Baltic states, France, Spain, and now Greece. The transfer operation duration is 6 to 20 days."

January 18, 2003 -- The Evening Standard (U.K.) has reported that "would-be Royal Mail rival Business Post took a swipe at the postal regulator today after a decision on a landmark arbitration case to open up competition was put back yet again."

January 18, 2003 -- The Daily Yomiuri has reported that "the first major reform of the postal system in 132 years reached another milestone Thursday with the approval by a government council of a midterm management plan for the postal services public corporation to be established April 1. The proposed corporation will take over the operations of three postal businesses--mail delivery, postal savings and kampo insurance--from the Postal Services Agency."

January 18, 2003 -- Xinhua has reported that:

• Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Patrick Masambu said on Saturday that the UCC is in the process of operationalizing the Rural Communications Development Fund as a further step in fulfillment of its mandate to enhance national coverage of communication service and products. In a message to mark the 23rd Pan African Post Day which falls on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003, Masambu said the Ugandan government and the UCC have continued to work closely in efforts to restructure the postal sector with the objective of making it vibrant and commercially oriented.
• The Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST) has reiterated its commitment to ensure complete revitalization of Nigeria's postal system in the new year

January 18, 2003 -- The Asso ciated Press has reported that "two letters from President Bush to Sweden's king and prime minister arrived more than a year late after they were held up in Washington because of the anthrax scare."

January 17, 2003 -- UPS has named Bob Stoffel, a 28-year company veteran, as president of UPS Supply Chain Solutions. The unit provides integrated logistics, transportation and trade services around the world.

January 17, 2003 -- Canada.com has reported that the "Vancouver city police have conducted searches and seized computers, hard drives and photographs linked to a massive international child pornography investigation that has identified 406 potential suspects in British Columbia. The Vancouver investigation is part of the largest child-pornography probe in Canadian history. Police have arrested about five per cent of the 2,329 Canadian names on a U.S. Postal Investigative Service list of people suspected of accessing child pornography."

January 17, 2003 -- BBC News has reported that "the Royal Mail is to be investigated by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) over allegations of sexual harassment."

January 17, 2003 -- ZDNet News has reported that "Prentice Hall, a technical and academic book publisher, has embraced the open-source philosophy for a new series of books, the content of which may be freely distributed. The publisher is giving access to electronic books will potentially spur sales of printed editions."

January 17, 2003 -- Business News Americas has reported that "Brazil's largest private bank Bradesco (NYSE: BBD) plans to add 3,000 alternative points of sale in post offices and retail chains during 2003, bringing the total to 5,500, local online news service PanoramaBrasil reported on Thursday. Bradesco won a public tender in 2001 to team up with the country's postal service to provide financial services in post offices. The joint venture, called Banco Postal, opened its first point of sale in March last year. By the end of the year it had 2,500 points of sale in post offices nationwide and about 350,000 new clients were incorporated into Bradesco's client base through Banco Postal in 2002."

January 17, 2003 -- "We liked 'em. We stole 'em. Soon we can buy 'em," reported the Detroit Free Press. " Those white Postal Service tubs had disappeared by the millions. They were in countless offices, basements and garages, storing junk, old files, even the medical records at one hospital. This week, the U.S. Postal Service decided they're popular enough to sell, starting in about a year."

January 17, 2003 -- The Polish News Bulletin has reported that "in a scandal that could cost the Polish post office up to ZL10m, the state-owned organisation has rejected an offer from Japanese company Mitsui in a tender for mail sorting machines, pointing to inaccurate price calculations. The offer was cheaper than those made by the Italian Elsag and Germany's Siemens concerns by 70 and 87 percent respectively. This would allow the post office to save about ZL8-10m, which could be spent on sorting machines for larger packages."

January 17, 2003 -- AFX (U.K.) has reported that "Business Post Group PLC said the determination from industry regulator, the Postal Services Commission (Postcomm), on pricing to be set for access by Business Post's UK Mail to Royal Mail's network will be later than originally anticipated. Business Post said that, at this stage, it is difficult to predict when the determination process will be finalised. The establishment and operating costs of UK Mail, Business Post's business mail subsidiary, are being kept to a minimum and are being expensed to the profit and loss account. The board said the long-term attractions of this market, estimated at over 5 bln stg per annum, remain "considerable".

January 17, 2003 -- The Financial Times (U.K.) has reported that "Royal Mail, the cash-strapped postal operator, will be receiving more than £1bn of debt from the government, the Department of Trade and Industry confirmed yesterday. The cash, drawn from the £1.8bn of gilts - the accumulated cash generated by the business - on the balance sheet of the company would "enable the mails business to implement its renewal plan, and to support the nationwide network of post offices", the DTI told parliament. More than half the money will be drawn from the National Loans Fund, secured on cash deposits from Royal Mail, and will be leant to the company on commercial terms, repayable between 2007 and 2009."

January 17, 2003 -- Governmental Affairs Committee member Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Wednesday released a letter from the postmaster general in which the postmaster admits error in the handling of a suspicious letter at a Hartford postal facility on November 19, 2002. Postmaster General John Potter told Lieberman that postal service procedures for "a suspicious powder incident" were violated and the supervisor involved has been disciplined. "I recognize the seriousness of this occurrence, and I am grateful no employees were actually placed at risk,” Potter wrote. "Safety of postal employees will always be our foremost concern and we have moved quickly to ensure future adherence to proper procedures."

January 17, 2003 -- The Postal Rate Commission has published in the Federal Register a proposal to update "periodic reporting rules affecting certain Postal Service data submissions. This update entails deleting certain outdated requirements and adding new requirements, including an electronic filing requirement. These changes should improve the ability of the Commission and others to analyze postal finances and operating results. Initial comments are due by February 10, 2003; reply comments are due by February 25, 2003. Submit comments electronically via the Comission's Filing Online system, which may be accessed at http://www.prc.gov.

January 17, 2003 -- The Irish Examiner has reported that "An Post is inviting expressions of interest from suppliers and manufacturers to provide 500,000 roadside post boxes."

January 17, 2003 -- The Bangkok Post has reported that "TNT Express Worldwide (Thailand) is set to compete with the state postal operator with the launch of around-the-clock domestic and international express document delivery services at 7-Eleven convenience stores."

January 17, 2003 -- The Canadian Passport Office and Canada Post have entered a partnership to provide better access to Canadians applying for passports. This project encourages the public to submit their passport applications to participating postal outlets for review before they are processed by the Passport Office. Canada Post employees have received training to review passport applications to ensure the documentation is in order. Canada Post employees then forward the application to the Passport Office and once the passport is ready it is sent to the applicant by courier.

January 16, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that:

• Express delivery companies FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) gave a cautious welcome this week to China's new regulations allowing them to take majority ownership of their operations in the country. However, neither company said it has any immediate plan to take advantage of the rules issued by China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, which permit them to own up to 75% of their China-based joint ventures.
• Express mail service provider United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) has signed an agreement to cooperate with a Chinese express mail firm under the wing of Hainan Airlines Co., the 21st Century Business Herald reported on Thursday. The article said that Yangtze River Express Co., which just got approval to fly its own cargo aircraft, signed an agreement with UPS in December. Under the agreement, Yangtze River Express will transport UPS' cargo to the southern city of Guangzhou from Shanghai, it said.

January 16, 2003 -- According to The Guardian (U.K.), "buying goods from websites based outside the UK still requires a leap of faith that many of you are evidently not yet prepared to make. Beyond the valid security concerns of giving a faceless site your credit card details, there's also the additional worry of guaranteeing that you will ever see the goods you have paid for."

January 16, 2003 -- According to the Canberra Times "Australia Post outlets were well stocked with 50c stamps to accommodate the new basic postal rate which came into effect on Monday, but many outlets in the ACT had run out of 5c stamps. Australia Post said the increase was the first in 11 years. Canada's basic rate is the equivalent of 53c, France's 62c, Germany's 76c, Italy's 66c, Japan's 71c and the UK's 56c."

January 16, 2003 -- Deutsche Post AG reached its core profit and sales targets in 2002 and will probably surpass a cost-cutting goal set for 2003, Chief Executive Klaus Zumwinkel said Wednesday. But the German mail company, which is also active in the parcels, logistics and financial services markets, won't likely get a boost from the economy this year, Zumwinkel said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires.

January 16, 2003 -- The Jamaica Observer has reported that "the Postal Corporation of Jamaica on Tuesday took one step closer to becoming computerised when Paymaster Jamaica Limited, a private bill payment agency, handed over 132 computer units to be installed in post office counters across the island."

January 16, 2003 -- The Norwich Bulletin has reported that "some 40 people gathered outside the New London post office Wednesday to demonstrate against a war with Iraq. The group of religious leaders who called themselves "Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice" then tried to mail humanitarian aid to Iraq. The U.S. Postal Service will not mail any package that weighs more than 12 ounces to Iraq, according to Christine Dugas, a spokeswoman for the service -- part of an executive order issued during the Persian Gulf War. The packages thus were rejected. The group soon peacefully dispersed."

January 16, 2003 -- Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) has teamed up with Hope Enterprises Inc. for Operation: S.W.A.K. (Sealed With A Kiss) 2003. From January 20 through February 14, participating MBE locations will provide free commemorative Bob Hope stationery and free first-class postage (37 cents) for one-ounce valentines and letters to U.S. military personnel stationed overseas or to veterans in VA hospitals.

January 16, 2003 -- The Was hington Post has reported that "fears of anthrax contamination in a package sent to the Federal Reserve Board in Washington were defused yesterday by officials who said additional tests on samples taken from the item and extensive tests of the postal facility it passed through turned up negative. The Northeast Washington facility, where U.S. government mail is sorted, reopened."

January 16, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "the Transportation Security Administration should develop a comprehensive, risk-based plan for air cargo security, according to a new government assessment. In a report released Wednesday, the General Accounting Office says that without a comprehensive plan, TSA and other federal agencies will have no way of knowing if resources against terrorist attack are being deployed effectively."

January 15, 2003 -- ABC News has reported that "a facility that handles government mail is undergoing precautionary testing for anthrax after a test on mail at the Federal Reserve indicated the potential presence of the bacteria. The suspect sample is being sent to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta for further testing, officials said Wednesday."

January 15, 2003 -- Arab News has reported that "the privatization of [Saudi] postal services has been running successfully, with some 100 agencies set up by the private sector, according to a senior official in the Ministry of Posts, Telephones and Telegraphs. Dr. Khaled Al-Otaibi, director general of posts, said the number of inhabitants served by each postal employee increased from 2,200 to 2,244 since the launch of the privatization program. The percentage of delivery mails within 48 hours also went up from 74 to 78 percent."

January 15, 2003 -- The Was hington Post has reported that "a Postal Service facility for sorting U.S. government mail in Northeast Washington was shut last night as a precaution after a letter sent to the Federal Reserve Board showed the possible presence of anthrax spores."

January 15, 2003 -- Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, announced today that it will take legal measures to protect postal workers at the V Street postal facility to ensure that the government negligence that resulted in the deaths of 8 postal workers will not occur again. Judicial Watch represents hundreds of United States Postal Service (USPS) workers and a USPS workers' support group, 'Brentwood Exposed,' concerning all matters related to the October 2001 anthrax attacks."

January 15, 2003 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal) has reported that:

• An attempt by various big customers of Post Danmark to obtain an opening of all Danish post offices to competition have failed, due to the opposition from the country’s two leading parliamentary parties, the Left Party and the Social Democrats.
• According to 'Xinhua Financial News' (13.1) the Chinese post intends to become a partner of China Print Group, a publishing house about to be founded as a joint venture with a capital of around 343m euros.
• According to Lloyd’s List DHL Worldwide Express plans to intensify its activities in the logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM) sectors considerably.
• FedEx expects the costs of its pension fund to go up by approx. 76m euros during the current financial year. The increase is due to a drop in return on invested capital, according to the company’s obligatory announcement to the American stock exchange supervisory body SEC. For the following financial year 2003/04 (June – May) the integrator expects pension costs to rise by up to 113.4m euros.

CEP News is without a doubt one of the best newsletters you can find that focuses on the courier, express, and postal market. If you don't get it, when it comes to the CEP business worldwide, you REALLY won't "get it." For more information on a subscription to CEP News, contact the publisher.

January 15, 2003 -- The Jerusalem Post has reported that the Israeli "Postal Authority is planning to dismiss guards at post offices around the country because the Treasury and Communications Ministry have refused to help cover its security costs, authority chairman and acting director-general Yossi Shelli said on Wednesday. The annual cost of armed guards and special security measures, which have been necessitated by terrorist threats, totals NIS 13 million."

January 15, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that "Deutsche Post AG confirmed Wednesday its interest in buying a stake in logistics firm China National Foreign Trade Transportation (Group) Co., better known as Sinotrans."

January 15, 2003 -- According to the Pittsb urgh Post Gazette, "FedEx Chairman and founder Frederick W. Smith built the air express company on a fleet of jets that deliver packages and documents overnight. But lately he's had reason to be thankful for the lowly truck. The Memphis-based company's Moon-based FedEx Ground unit is on a roll, contributing an increasing percentage of profits to the corporate bottom line as the traditional air express business is in a bit of a slump. "It has more than exceeded our expectations," Smith said yesterday of FedEx Ground as he left a board meeting held at the division's recently expanded headquarters. "It has been a very very good thing for FedEx Corp."

January 15, 2003 -- Asia Pulse has reported that "Deutsche Post Global Mail and DHL Worldwide Express have joined forces to create an international mail service in Australia and New Zealand. Their new international mail product for corporate accounts will be known as Global Mail Business. Global Mail Business will be introduced in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, with other markets in the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East to follow shortly."

January 14, 2003 -- Le Monde (France) has reported that "French finance minister Francis Mer said in a TV interview on Sunday that an increase to the price of stamps was planned. Mr. Mer pointed out that postal prices had not gone up for six years and that an increase was therefore likely. Jean-Paul Bailly, chairman of French national postal group La Poste, recently called for a price increase."

January 14, 2003 -- The Carolina Morning News has reported that "it's no secret that the U.S. Postal Service has long been the butt of jokes. Viewers laughed when Seinfeld's neighbor and nemesis, a mailman named Newman, dumped most of his mail rather than going to the trouble of delivering it all. "No mailman's ever broken the 50 percent mark," he once quipped. They laughed because the idea of mail carriers trashing mail they were supposed to deliver was simply too preposterous to take seriously. Until now."

January 14, 2003 -- According to Borsen-Zeitung (Germany), "Deutsche Post, the German postal operator, is optimistic that German and EU antitrust authorities will end their opposition to the company's integration of the domestic and foreign activities of Trans-o-flex Schnell-Lieferdienst, the German-based logistics group."

January 14, 2003 -- The Chicago District Postal Service, Illinois Small Business Development Center Network, DCCA (Department of Commerce and Community Affairs) and the SBA (Small Business Administration) are teaming up to launch the very first consultation center in a local postal facility. The Preferred Customer Consultation Center will have the latest technology and link directly to the Chicago USPS' new website targeted for small/medium size business, www.uspspreferred.com. It will also link directly to PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Center). Customers can have one on one consultation with Debbie Miller, Small Business Specialist."

January 14, 2003 -- ChannelNewsAsia has reported that "Singapore Post is reportedly looking to raise a syndicated loan of up to S$250 million to improve its capital structure ahead of its possible listing."

January 14, 2003 -- The Herald has reported that "the unbundling of the former Posts and Telecommunications Corporation has helped lower the deficit incurred by the Zimbabwe Posts from $1,2 billion in 2000 to about $578 million by the end of 2001."

January 14, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "FedEx Custom Critical , Inc., a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., is changing the name of its CharterAir division to Air Expedite, to reflect its range of expedited air services."

January 14, 2003 -- AFX Europe has reported that "the Swiss Post said its international unit SPI has aquired the Washington DC-based Priority Post to strengthen its US position. The purchase price for Priority Post is a low single-digit figure, it said. Priority Post is one of the largest non-postal providers of international mailings and specialises in the pre-sorting and processing of bulk mailings. It is also a partner of the US Postal Service."

January 14, 2003 -- As DM News has noted, "while the U.S. market is split between the U.S. Postal Service and delivery companies like United Parcel Service, FedEx and Airborne Express, Royal Mail's hold in Britain is stronger against private competition. The government service delivers letters daily to 27 million addresses across the British Isles. It delivers 30 percent of all domestic home-shopped items. More importantly, Royal Mail fulfills 60 percent of local online orders."

January 14, 2003 -- Datam onitor (U.K.) has reported that "The cross-border parcel market between the UK and continental Europe currently has a 15% annual growth rate, compared with the UK's internal market, which has a growth rate of just 5%. Deutsche Post is keen to lead this market single handedly. Over the last decade, Deutsche Post has been paramount in shaping the way the European logistics, postal and express markets have evolved. Its strategy of acquisitive growth supported by organic development has proven to be a successful one, even in the most difficult of economic climates. The recent announcement that all express and logistics subsidiaries will be re-branded under the DHL umbrella highlights Deutsche Post's commitment to dominating the European logistics, parcels and express markets. This is clearly a feat that Deutsche Post believes cannot be achieved through organic growth alone."

January 13, 2003 -- Die Welt (Germany) has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German postal services group, is to offer the operators of around 7,500 sub post-offices new contracts with which it aims to make savings. By introducing the new contracts it is aiming to cut costs. The post offices involved are smaller sales points, for example in supermarkets, travel agents or lottery sales points, and account for 7,500 of the around 13,000 total number of offices operated by the group."

January 13, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc., which is trying to find extra revenue and trim costs wherever it can amid a slump in deliveries, imposed a new penalty on customers who pay their bills late."

January 13, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that "China's government has issued new regulations which for the first time allow foreign freight forwarding and express delivery companies to own a majority stake, of as much as 75%, in their local joint ventures. The measure could allow foreign couriers - such as express delivery leaders FedEx Corp. (FDX), United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), DHL Worldwide Express Inc. (X.DHL) and TPG N.V. (TP) - to take home a greater share of their ventures' profits from the fast-growing China market."

January 13, 2003 -- The Postal Rate Commission will be hosting a session at 10:30 Wednesday morning January 15th in the Postal Rate Commission Hearing Room at 1333 H Street NW, 3rd floor on "The Future of Paper - Making Paper More Intelligent." The presenters will be Maynard H. Benjamin, President of the Envelope Manufacturers Association, and Jay Freitas, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Oles Envelope Company."

January 13, 2003 -- Dow Jones has reported that "The European Union Commission warned Monday that the region is falling behind with crucial economic reforms needed to speed growth. At a summit in Lisbon two years ago, leaders endorsed proposals to increase competition in the energy-, postal-, and financial-services sectors, among others. They also pledged to cut state aid and increase research investment."

January 13, 2003 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Deutsche Post is close to acquiring the remaining 50 per cent stake in Securicor's UK parcels distribution business. The German postal operator is seeking to streamline its express, freight and logistics services under one roof and to close remaining gaps in its pan-European delivery network."

January 13, 2003 -- DM News has reported that "when one organization faced USPS rate increases at the start of 2002 and international delivery times of several weeks or more, it didn't take a computer engineer to realize it should explore new mailing options. The computer society settled on Deutsche Post Global Mail, a Herndon, VA-based division of Deutsche Post World Net that provides direct mail, publication distribution and other services to U.S. businesses sending mail internationally. DPGM handles more than 70 million pieces of mail daily worldwide, and it has more than 7,000 business customers in the United States."

January 13, 2003 -- The Jordan Times has reported that "the Jordan Post Company (JPC) has rescinded its decision to increase the annual mailbox subscription fees for residents in Amman and governorate centres. JPC General Manager Ali Qudah said the company's board of directors also decided to go back on a decision to slash by half the subscription fees for residents located outside governorate centres."

January 13, 2003 -- The Daily Mail (U.K.) has reported that "hundreds of post offices have been shut in the past two years, despite Government pledges of help. Now bosses are unveiling plans to axe thousands more."

January 13, 2003 -- Business Line (India) has reported that "Singapore Post Pte Ltd has been permitted by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to set up a joint venture subsidiary in India along with Consignia, the national postal administration of the UK under the UK Government, and the Netherlands-based TPG Group."

January 13, 2003 -- The Minneapolis Star Tribune has reported that "hit by falling demand and aging equipment, Blandin Paper Co., the largest private employer in Grand Rapids, Minn., said Wednesday that it has permanently shut down two of its four paper-making machines and laid off 298 of the plant's 800 workers. "Obviously this is a very, very sad day for Blandin," company spokesperson Rebecca Theim said. "The company agonized over making this decision," but the machines were kept running for several years longer than planned, she said. The Blandin plant produces glossy paper used for magazines, catalogs and some direct-mail ads -- all markets that have been hurt by the economic downturn. "Prices for lightweight coated paper are at a historic low," Theim said. "Look at how small magazines have gotten. Advertising is down because of the economy . . . and fewer catalogs are going out."

January 13, 2003 -- Cen tral Michigan Life has reported that "paper billing will become part of the past as the Office of Receivable Accounting is preparing the CMU community for electronic billing. Through electronic billing, university account holders receive their billing statements at their global ID. Electronic billing will save the university a considerable amount of money because it eliminates printing and mailing costs, said Ryan Buckley, Office of Information Technology marketing associate."

January 12, 2003 -- Traffic World has reported that "the Air Transport Association opted to look beyond the beleaguered airline industry for the newest head of the trade association. James C. May, executive vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters, will replace the retiring Carol B. Hallett as president and chief executive officer on Feb. 3, well ahead of Hallett's planned April 30 exit. May takes the reins at one of the most turbulent times in aviation history. Two of ATA's member carriers are in bankruptcy with the balance of member airlines, with the exception of Southwest Airlines, FedEx and United Parcel Service, in financial turmoil."

January 12, 2003 -- The Irish Times has reported that "the private contractor responsible for delivering airmail parcels from the United States last night rejected suggestions it was engaged in profiteering amid a public outcry over its controversial charge-on-delivery policy. General Logistics Systems (Ireland), a Dublin-based subsidiary of Britain's Royal Mail, insisted it did not turn a profit on the tariffs, saying they represented customs and excise tolls."

January 12, 2003 -- Reuters has reported that "Deutsche Post plans to take over Italian parcel service Casa di Spedizioni Ascoli S.p.A from January 15 to expand into southern Europe. The Italian company, which is to be integrated into express unit DHL, has 400 workers and 80 million euros ($84.30 million) in annual sales."

January 11, 2003 -- The New York Times has reported that "the nation continued to bleed tens of thousands of jobs in December, the Labor Department reported yesterday, jolting forecasters who had expected a modest upturn in employment and suggesting that American business remains highly pessimistic about the economic future." So how can we sit idly by and watch the bleeding of thousands more private sector jobs by allowing the Postal Service to prepare another round of postal rate increases?

January 11, 2003 -- The Belfast Telegraph (U.K.) has reported that "the days of the friendly postman dropping mail through the letterbox are numbered for many homes in the Republic. An Post has invited tenders for the supply and installation of 500,000 secure outdoor letterboxes, following a proposal by the south's Director of Telecommunications. The plan, for mailboxes in the American style, is still being considered but it is likely to get the go-ahead."

January 11, 2003 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator, stands accused of having reduced margins at the 7,500 branches which it span off at the end of last year."

January 11, 2003 -- The Irish Times has reported that "this Christmas's mail delivery problems, where over a million Irish Christmas cards went undelivered until after Christmas Day, should have been avoided. An Post's statement that it is contractually bound to deliver foreign mail before Irish domestic mail, its proposal to move to kerbside boxes and its unwillingness to introduce a postcode system must all be questioned. And An Post should be currently making significant profits and not losses. These are the issues that customers of An Post would like addressed by An Post, Minister Dermot Ahern and ComReg, the Irish postal regulator."

January 10, 2003 -- S. David Fineman, the Managing Partner at Fineman & Bach, P.C., a lawyer firm in Philadelphia, was elected as Chairman of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors. He succeeds Robert F. Rider. John F. Walsh, a Connecticut businessman and a City of New Haven official for more than 35 years, was elected as Vice Chairman of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors. He succeeds S. David Fineman who was elected Chairman.

January 10, 2003 -- The Baltimore Sun has reported that "a lawsuit filed this week on behalf of Leroy "Rich" Richmond, a Virginia postal worker who contracted inhalation anthrax while working at Washington's central postal plant in 2001, might be the first of several such suits brought by anthrax survivors, his attorney said yesterday."

January 10, 2003 -- The Centre Daily News has noted that a "trend toward more mail delivery in the dark draws complaints. Some postal watchdogs and carriers' union officials, however, say more Americans are getting their mail later. It's a phenomenon that is fraying the relationship between the Postal Service and its workers and customers."

January 10, 2003 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that:

• The Transportation Security Administration is phasing out a ban on domestic passenger flights carrying individual pieces of mail weighing more than 16 ounces. That's good news for the financially troubled U.S. airline industry, which lost more than $250 million in revenue from the U.S. Postal Service last year due to the ban. The government imposed the restrictions for security reasons after the terrorist attacks in Sept. 2001. The phase-out should also benefits shippers who use the Post Office's priority mail service. The Postal Service has either had to truck the heavier mail or ship it on all-cargo flights. The more frequent schedules of the passenger airlines should result in faster service, at least on some routes.
• Airborne, Inc. has won a contract from long-time customer, Xerox Corp., for its nationwide ground delivery service for parcel shipping and a special returns program.

January 10, 2003 -- Yahoo has reported that "J.P. Morgan Chase on Wednesday after the close said that analyst Gregory Burns had cut his earnings forecast for United Parcel Service Inc., the world's number one package carrier, reflecting 'a slow volume recovery at the domestic package unit.'"

January 10, 2003 -- From the White House: James C. Miller, III, of Virginia, to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service for the term expiring December 8, 2010, vice Einar V. Dyhrkopp, term expired; and Albert Casey, of Texas, to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2009, vice Tirso del Junco, term expired.

January 10, 2003 -- The Asso ciated Press has reported that "the post office is beginning the process of seeking a rate increase even as it awaits congressional action that would make the step unnecessary. The internal process of preparing for a new rate case has started, postal vice president Azeezaly Jaffer confirmed Thursday. The amount of any increase won't be determined until that analysis is completed."

January 10, 2003 -- The Malta Independent has reported that the General Workers' Union is arguing that "redundant Maltapost workers should be taken back by the government."

January 10, 2003 -- The Arab News (Saudi Arabia) has reported that "the privatization of the postal services has been running successfully, with some 100 agencies set up by the private sector, according to a senior official in the Saudi Ministry of Posts, Telephones and Telegraphs.