MALTA - Liberalisation of postal services in 2013

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp? ... mid=108638" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The House of Representatives on Monday unanimously approved amendments to boost the country’s communications laws, with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, Austin Gatt confirming that the liberalisation of postal services will take place in 2013.

With e-commerce continuously on the rise, competition to improve the quality and efficiency of postal services in Malta would be healthy, said Dr Gatt, and both Maltapost and the country’s citizens will benefit from the challenge of new service providers in the market.

Dr Gatt said the latest amendments to the laws of postal services, telecommunications and the country’s electronic technology services will enhance both the efficiency and quality of the country’s postal services.

Consultations, said Dr Gatt, started last June to see how Maltapost’s levels of services can be improved, and for its inefficiencies to be ironed out, with Dr Gatt expressing his delight that Maltapost was ready to take on board some of the proposals which have already been put forward by the ministry.

When it came to the telecommunications industry, stated Dr Gatt, despite Malta’s relatively small size, mobile phone usage was very high, and with several mobile phone companies constantly seeking to improve their services, the need to set up an authority in this regard is now more imperative than ever.

Under one of the latest amendments, said Dr Gatt, consumers will still have the privilege to receive e-mails on both their old and new e-mail addresses thanks to an agreement with local Internet Service Providers.

Dr Gatt expressed pleasure about the opposition’s cooperation and approval of the amendments, for Malta, he said, cannot afford to lag behind other countries in the constantly changing and varying technological field.

Labour Party MP Chris Cardona said that the Opposition was in agreement on the proposed amendments because liberalisation of the postal services will give a boost to both local and foreign commerce.

Mr Cardona praised the ministry for working hard and going ahead with the amendments to improve communications in Malta, despite the lack of intervention from the majority of stakeholders in the market.