Parcel post fee hike ‘necessary’, says Hinkson

The increase in price for the Advice of Arrival Postal fees on parcels is necessary, Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson has claimed. He explained that the move allows the Postal Service to recover costs incurred in processing the goods,

In a statement on the price increase which took effect on Monday, Hinkson said: “The Advice of Arrival postal fee had not been increased since 2011.

“The cost of processing the packages, which are received through the postal services from overseas, for collection for persons residing in Barbados exceeds $1.50, and is assessed at $10.00 per package.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Barbados Postal Service deem this increase necessary, in order to recover its reasonable costs incurred in processing these non-document goods.”

He added that the increase, which was passed through both Houses of Parliament last July, would also result in a “more self-sufficient, efficient and self-sustaining postal service, in a prevailing era and economic environment whereby government departments are required to examine the feasibility of charging market value for the services which they offer to the general public”.