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Cyprus Post, under the Ministry of Communications and Works, is responsible for the national postal business. It has a progressive and expansive policy and utilises all available resources including the necessary workforce and technology. Cyprus Post has always aimed at providing a universal, rapid, safe but low-cost service to the public. Cyprus Post is committed to serving all Cypriots, businesses and organisations through the secure delivery of letters and parcels throughout Cyprus and around the world. Each year, Cyprus Post is entrusted with some 74 million postal items. These postal items are processed through the four sorting centres and many other facilities for delivery. There are 51 postal outlets, 16 of which are in rural areas and additionally a total number of 992 postal agencies operate in rural and urban areas, where customers can have access to postal services especially during the hours the post offices are closed. On account of its wide postal network throughout the island and the considerable number of contact points with the public in the towns and rural areas the Department offers besides standard postal services, other services to the public on behalf of other Government Departments. The revenue from Cyprus Post for the year 2000 amounted to C£ 12,7 million and the expenditure to C£ 8,5 million leaving a net profit of C£ 4,2 million. It is the Department’s objective to develop a postal network that will be the best possible channel to the market for business customers. At the same time Cyprus Post undertakes to adhere to its obligation to society to make a basic service available to the entire population in all parts of the country. In this way the postal network will be strengthened so that it becomes one of Cyprus Post's most important competitive assets in a market where competition is steadily becoming more intense. Other significant goals are the following:
Activities of the year
During the year 2000 all preparations for the innovation of the method of
mail sorting were made and an automatic letter sorting machine which cost
£2 million was installed in the newly built sorting center.
Τhe center which cost C£1,5 million, is a
private financing project and is expected to be fully operational in
spring next year. The Department began a campaign at the beginning of the year, aimed to
informing the customers of the correct way of addressing their mail so
that it is acceptable by the new sorting machine. Since the beginning of 2000 the Department has undertaken a huge
enlightening campaign. Furthermore it has organized with great success, a
training seminar on the liberalisation of the market and the organisation
and functioning of the new sorting center. At the same time the new legislation for the establishment of the
National Regulatory Authority has been completed and is expected to be
presented before the House of Representatives early next year. For the
same purpose and in compliance with the demand, regarding the Universal
Service, house to house delivery has been expanded to 15 more rural
communities and private post office boxes were allotted free of charge to
the inhabitants of communities with population not more than 200. Cyprus Post continued, according to the EU Directive, the quality
measurements of the local and international mail targeting at the
upgrading of the quality of services. Quality of Service The results of the measurements, bearing in mind the geographical position of Cyprus, are deemed satisfactory for the outgoing mail, while for the incoming there is considerable room for improvement. Furthermore, during the second half of the year an independent firm carried out a research on the local mail. According to the results of this research the average time needed from the date of posting to that of delivery is 2,3 days, which means again that this must be ameliorated. . Market Research This survey indicates that the Department controls 100% of the market in the field of the letter mail sector, 87% in the parcel post and 33% in the highly competitive area of the international EXPRESS MAIL SERVICE. This market research is curried out on a regular basis and provides a very trustworthy source of information to assist Cyprus Post in its effort to improve its services. Marketing Cyprus Post established a marketing unit and continues to develop a customer oriented commercial policy. During the year the marketing officers paid visits to almost every big customer giving them information on all postal services offered and drawing their attention to the new automatic sorting machine
With Cyprus being in the process of joining the European Union the Department of Postal Services is following a program in order to implement the aquis communautaire by 1.1.2003. Aiming to incorporate the first Directive on Postal Services issued by EU, a new legislation including the creation of a National Regulatory Authority, has been drafted and is expected to be enacted by the end of 2001. One of the priorities set out in the Directive is the upgrading of the quality of Services and in this direction an automatic letter Sorting Machine has been installed in the newly erected Sorting Center. With the aim of setting of high quality standards, the Department has joined the UNEX monitoring system for the international mail. Relevant measurements of the domestic mail performance were also carried out during the year. To comply with the requirements of the directive with regard to the Universal Service house to house delivery has been expanded to most large communities and Post Office boxes have been installed and allocated free of charge in all rural communities which have a population up to 200 inhabitants. With the full liberalization of the postal sector there is an urgent need for the changing of the Governmental Status of the post and relevant steps have been taken so that a political decision will be taken in this direction to create a new flexible organization, capable of facing the new challenges and the increasing competition.
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