All India Postal Employee Union, Gr-C is the major constituent of National Federation of Postal Employees - The biggest Federation of the Largest Postal Network of the World highlighting the principles of unity and struggle for the advancement of postal workers
Friday, 4 September 2020
Thursday, 3 September 2020
How COVID-19 is changing the world - a statistical perspective Vol. II
This report updates some of the global and regional trends presented in the first volume and offers a snapshot of how COVID-19 continues to affect the world today across multiple domains. The report also highlights the impact of the pandemic on specific regions and population groups.
Click Here to view the complete Report (80 Pages)
The clock is ticking on electronic advance data for trade and ecommerce in LDCs
Urgent digital transformation is needed to create safe and secure cross border ecommerce customs clearance in the world’s poorest countries.
Over the last few months, COVID-19 lockdown restrictions around the world have had a dramatic impact on cross border ecommerce, including a reduction in the volumes of international parcels postal operators are managing.
Ecommerce success globally had meant a flourishing of packages sent across borders, but coronavirus has caused a decline due to disruptions in transport capacity, the closure of borders and the impact the pandemic has had on consumer trust. Despite this, it is likely that global parcel supply chain infrastructure will be restored quickly by postal operators, transport companies and customs administrations.
This recovery and the return to higher and higher levels of mailings will require urgent digital transformation, especially considering an upcoming deadline for electronic communications on items being sent globally by post. And, action is needed to ensure some countries aren’t left behind.
The regulatory landscape is changing rapidly
The COVID-19 pandemic is only one of the elements currently impacting the growth of cross border ecommerce. This year and 2021 will see huge changes in the regulatory landscape for the international exchange of low-value parcels and packets through the global postal network, supported mainly by designated postal operators of Universal Postal Union (UPU) member countries. UPU members work to facilitate communications and social and economic inclusion through the provision of a universal service.
Electronic advising ahead of the sending of postal items will be critical in meeting legal requirements taking effect in 2020/21, such as those established by the United States of America (Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act), China, the Russian Federation and the European Union (Union Customs Code, Import Control System 2). Upcoming security requirements include sending pre-loading advance cargo information (PLACI) before an item leaves the country of origin, confirming the correct export processing to destination customs and transport airlines, and possibly sending security alerts back to the country of origin.
Bringing posts and customs together
The UPU’s Postal Technology Centre created the Customs Declaration System (CDS) that is in use by over 100 member countries of the UPU. The CDS system helps streamline the postal customs clearance process by enabling postal operators and customs administrators to exchange electronic advance data (EAD), perform data-driven risk analysis to support package selection and screening, and expedite the calculation of required duties and taxes.
On the customs front, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) developed ASYCUDA World, an automated customs management system currently used by 101 countries. The new data standard improves data quality and simplifies communications across the supply chain, thus facilitating trade growth, improving cargo security, modernising customs operations and fostering participation in global commerce through the submission of EAD for air cargo shipments. It also facilitates customs risk assessments for air cargo shipments and improves compliance with security regulations.
Link with the Trade Facilitation Agreement
The World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) outlines member countries’ obligations in terms of reducing trade frictions and red tape, and helps to improve the access of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to global trade.
The implementation of many of those obligations, such as pre-arrival processing and advance ruling, can be facilitated by existing UPU regulations and solutions. The UPU actively supports and accelerates the implementation of the TFA by postal operators, customs and other trade agencies through its information technology solutions like the abovementioned CDS or the International Postal System (IPS) used by postal operators to dispatch and process international mail items.
Many of these obligations are related to collaborative activities between customs and postal operators such as the single window (TFA article 10.4), pre-arrival processing (TFA article 7.1), advance rulings (TFA article 3) and acceptance of copies (TFA article 10.2). Cooperation between customs and postal operators can help to reduce trade frictions.
Helping least developed countries comply
With the growth of ecommerce and the resulting “parcelisation of trade”, a tsunami of packages is being sent across borders, and postal and customs administrations need to develop new methods to facilitate trade, especially for MSMEs.
To do this, the UPU, in cooperation with UNCTAD, launched an effort this year in 22 least developed countries (LDCs) to facilitate the clearance of postal packages through the exchange of pre-arrival/pre-departure information between postal operators and customs administrations, enabling the use of data to enhance postal and customs operations for more efficient postal operations and more effective customs clearance.
The overall objective is to increase border efficiency and reduce red tape and friction in the cross-border shipment of postal items, often burdened by lengthy paper-driven processes and sluggish physical inspections performed without the support of data analysis risk engines. This builds on previous successful UNCTAD and UPU projects, now with the aim to replicate that success in LDCs by January 2021. The work will seek to reduce enduring traditional challenges such as illicit trade, illicit financial flows, intellectual property right infringement, counterfeiting, and piracy, to name a few.
The UPU and UNCTAD have identified the 22 LDCs in which the national interfaces between UPU’s CDS and UNCTAD’s ASYCUDA can be established quickly to address the urgent need for posts and customs to exchange EAD (see Table 1). The goal is to:
· Enable an efficient customs clearance process and the timely delivery of postal items;
· Improve visibility, timelines and quality of service for items in the postal network;
· Ensure the effective and accurate collection of leviable duties and taxes, and the efficient implementation of de minimis thresholds.
UNCTAD’s e-trade readiness assessments are supporting this work with information about where ASYCUDA is operational and what challenges and opportunities exist in each country’s ecommerce context, while the UPU’s operational readiness for ecommerce project identifies which LDCs need to install CDS and which ones only need to interface with ASYCUDA. Proof of concept pilots are planned for Vanuatu, and Cambodia was recently added to the list.
The completion of this project will improve trade facilitation and inclusion to and from these countries, by enabling individuals and small businesses to exchange goods internationally through the global postal supply chain, while introducing efficient customs clearance processes and supporting the timely delivery of postal items.
Alexander Thern-Svanberg, Donor Relations and Stakeholder Engagement Programme Manager, Universal Postal Union
Javier Garcia Blanch, Customs Programme Expert, Universal Postal Union
A version of this opinion piece appeared in the Opinion section of The Trade for Development News by the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), WTO. To see the original, please go to: https://trade4devnews.enhancedif.org/en/op-ed/clock-ticking-electronic-advance-data-trade-and-ecommerce-ldcs
UPU/ICAO urge support for posts, air cargo carriers and express mail operators during COVID-19 pandemic
1 September 2020 (Montreal/Berne) - The following is a joint statement from the Universal Postal Union and the International Civil Aviation Organization:
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) encourage United Nations member states to continue to support their designated postal operators, air cargo carriers and express mail operators during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and to provide support for future recovery efforts.
As a critical infrastructure in the provision of essential services, Posts require support to maintain their operations in the face of the major challenges posed by the pandemic. Posts are actively engaged in the transport by air of vital medical and humanitarian supplies, consumer goods, and e-commerce and essential items needed to fight the current pandemic, including information materials for public dissemination and COVID-19 samples and test kits to support comprehensive research into understanding this disease. The fulfilment of the international postal service mission, as well as that of air cargo carriers and express mail operators, is highly dependent on the support of member countries in recognizing the essential nature of these services, ensuring operators’ financial stability and providing their workers with the flexibility required to undertake their duties.
In line with the recommendations and associated global roadmap of the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force, ICAO and the UPU are calling on member countries to facilitate the flexibility that Posts, air cargo carriers and express mail operators require in order to meet this critical demand, by assisting them with the necessary resources and working with them to understand the challenges and develop common solutions.
Through their memorandum of understanding, ICAO and the UPU maintain long-lasting and regular coordination. Moreover, these agencies recognize that, by working with the right partners and integrating data sources and resources, the potential value of postal big data could be further enhanced as the global supply chain responds to both the pandemic and geopolitical trends.
ICAO and the UPU will step up the analysis of each other’s e-commerce and traffic big data, so as to identify and report on the logistical constraints to e-commerce growth. Analyses of ICAO and UPU big data have helped to identify trends and forecast the growth of different categories of e-commerce items carried by postal authorities using air transport. These analyses and forecasts will continue to play a significant role in aligning member countries’ e-commerce capacity and infrastructure plans with expected growth, thus ensuring that member countries derive maximum benefit from the additional value of e-commerce trade within their national economies, despite the pandemic.
ICAO and the UPU encourage member countries to work in tandem with their designated postal operators and air transport operators to strengthen collaboration between global supply chain stakeholders. Moreover, these agencies call on such stakeholders to work with them in improving supply chain resiliency and dependability through active participation in digitalization efforts, specifically through the development of standards and updated guidance materials.
NOTIFICATION FOR THE POSTS OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS CYCLE – III / 2020-2021 ODISHA CIRCLE
Click Here to view the complete Notification (132 Pages)
Important Note from Secretary General NFPE / Confederation on implementation of Rule - 56 (j) and 48 (h)
Today I am putting a very surprising fact.
Yesterday I was on the way to Lucknow. Somebody from Lok Sabha TV called me and requested to take part in debate at 8.30 pm on implementation of rule 56(j) & 48(h) for pre mature retirement. I agreed.
After this he asked how Government Employees are taking it.I said that Governments Employees are not happy with this. Then he asked whether you will oppose this? I said of course we will oppose and protest against this. Then he told me that you should not fully oppose it in debate. I told I will oppose it fully. Then again he asked that some employees will be happy, than I asked him how an employee whose service is being snatched before completion, how he will be happy?
After that I was dropped from debate.
Now it shows that Government through media want to make an environment by telling so many advantages of premature retirement as I was told that there will be some officers from DOPT and some economists and some experts in debate.
Now all Central government employees should understand the meaning of it. Because Prime Minister gave slogan "Minimum Government Maximum Governess ". Many of us thought that he will make his Cabinet as minimum but that is not so. So he will minimise the no of Govt. Deptts and govt. employees.
So please get ready to face this.
In our govt. employees, there are so many blind supporters of this Government. But they should think very clearly that when this rule will be applied at that time no certificate will be seen by higher officers of the Deptt where you serve.
Last week I met a big leader of ruling party; during discussion he expressed his displeasure over frequent increase of salaries by way of setting of so many Pay Commissions under pressure of Unions. He told that many State Governments are feeling difficulty in payment of salary and pension of govt. employees and Pensioners. Central Government is also in financial hard ship. I was surprised to hear such things from him.
After one week such orders have come from DOPT.
We as Confederation and NFPE will fight against it but participation of employees also very much required to resist and stop such onslaughts.
R.N.Parashar
Secretary General
Confederation & NFPE
Review of Compassionate Engagement cases of dependents of deceased / missing Gramin Dak Sevaks, rejected by the Committee on Compassionate Engagement (CCE) between the period from the year 2005 to May 2017
Click Here to view the complete list of recommendations (43 Pages)
Tuesday, 1 September 2020
NFPE Odisha pays respectful tribute to the departed former President of India Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee
Former President of India, Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee passed away at the age of 84 on 31.08.2020 (Monday). In mid-August, he had undergone a brain surgery at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi. Hours before his death, hospital authorities said his condition had deteriorated and he was in a state of septic shock due to a lung infection. Mukherjee’s death was announced by his son Abhijit Mukherjee.
His body has been kept at his residence in the national capital. His last rites will be performed at the Lodi Road crematorium at 2 pm on 01.09.2020. The country is observing a seven-day morning period till September 6.
In his passing away, the country has lost a distinguished leader and an outstanding parliamentarian.
Shri Pranab Mukherjee, 13th President of India was a man of unparalleled experience in governance who served as Union Foreign, Defence, Commerce and Finance Minister.
Born on December 11, 1935 in the small village of Mirati in Birbhum District of West Bengal, Shri Mukherjee acquired a Master’s degree in History and Political Science as well as a degree in Law from the University of Kolkata. He then embarked on his professional life as a college teacher and journalist. Inspired by his father’s contribution to the national movement, Shri Mukherjee started his full time public life following his election to Rajya Sabha in 1969.
Shri Mukherjee served as Deputy Minister, Industry; Shipping and Transport, Steel and Industry and Minister of State for Finance during 1973-75. He assumed office as Finance Minister of India for the first time in 1982 and was Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha from 1980 to 1985. He became Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission from 1991 to 1996; concurrently Minister for Commerce from 1993 to 1995 and Minister of External Affairs from 1995 to 1996; Minister of Defence from 2004 to 2006. He again served as Minister of External Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2012. He was Leader of House in Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2012.
Shri Pranab Mukherjee assumed office of the President of India on July 25, 2012 and served his full term of five years. As President, Shri Mukherjee lent dignity to the high office and brought to bear his scholarly and humanitarian outlook on national and international affairs.
A prolific reader, Shri Mukherjee has authored several books on the Indian Economy and on Nation Building. The many awards and honours conferred on him include the Best Parliamentarian Award in 1997, Padma Vibhusan in 2008 and India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 2019.
Shri Mukherjee has left his imprint on our national life. In his death, the country has lost a distinguished national leader, accomplished Parliamentarian and a tall statesman.
Deeply saddened, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the members of his bereaved family on behalf of the NFPE, Odisha.
Let the divine soul rest in eternal peace.
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