Postal Service in Nepal

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Meaning and Introduction

Postal service has become the intrinsic part of our life. Our daily life is attached with it. An
individual and organization cannot think of completing personal, clerical and administrative
activities without taking the support of postal service. It is the oldest institutional facility in the
field of communication provided by the government. The post office is diversifying its area of
operation.
The post office is an institution which involves in carrying and transferring letters, documents,
parcels and money relating to individuals and organizations from one place to another place
inside or outside the country. It is a governmental institution. The postal service is considered as
cheapest, easiest, popular, convenient and reliable means of communication in spite of the
developed of other means of communication. It is the process of linking people and organizations
of different places by carrying and transferring letters, documents, parcels and money. Postal
service is the process of carrying and transferring letters, documents, and parcels, money from
one place, office and person to other places, office and person inside or outside through the post
office.
Utility and Importance of Postal service
Postal service is the cheapest, easiest, safest and easily accessible means of written
communication. It is highly useful means of communication to transfer the message in rural

areas of the country where other means of communication are not well developed. The
importance of postal service is given below:
1. Importance to an individual
Postal service is an important means of communication to an individual to communicate
private information. A person needs to go to different places for different purposes like
business, job and study. He needs to exchange the private information with his family
members, relatives, and friends. For exchanging the information from one person to
another person, post office plays the role of mediator by providing postal services. It
helps to create a great affection between the people of different places. It helps to strength
personal relation between the persons. A post office also accepts small saving of an
individual through Postal Saving Bank. It provides the loan to the employee of the post
office without security.
2. Importance to the business
Postal service is an important means of communication to communicate business
information. A businessman has to write a letter on different business activities like
inquiry, reply, order and compliant. For exchanging such business information between
the businessmen or offices, post office plays the role of mediator by providing postal
services. The branch office needs to report the problems, progress, achievement and
suggestions to its head office and the head office requires to circulate different types of
information to its branches. The post office helps for remitting money from one place to
another place by providing financial service. It plays an inevitable role for the promotion
of industry, trade and commerce in the country.
3. Importance to the organization
The social organization is established to provide different types of social services to the
people of the society. It also has to inform about its activities to its branches, subbranches and members of different areas. The post office plays an important role by
providing information about the activities of social organizations with its postal service.
4. Importance to the government
The government establishes different types of offices in different places for providing
services to the people of the country. For maintain uniformity in its services, the
government has to give written instruction to its respective offices. Post offices play the
role of mediator for transferring written messages from one government office to another
by providing postal service. Post offices help to maintain uniformity in the service and
help to increase efficiency in the work of government offices.
Development of Postal service in Nepal
During the reign of Prithvi Narayan Shah, an institution was developed called hulak, the present
day post office. Thaple hulak was the system developed to carry goods from one place to
another. Similarly, Kagaze hulak was developed to carry letters and various documents.

Postal service was formally started in 1932 B.S. during the reign of Surendra Bir Bikram Shah
Dev. Postal service got a permanent residence with the construction of Hulak Ghar in 1936 B.S.,
letters were distributed with seals on them. In 1938 B.S, the first postal stamps of Nepal were
released with crown (Shree pech) and crossed khukuri printed in them. Stamps of three different
values were released with the same figures on each of them. Those stamps were one ana, two
anas and four anas each.
Post offices not only carry letters throughout the Nepal but also to various countries. The
Universal Postal Union was established to promote a strong tie among the member nations.
Nepal also gets its membership in Aswin, 2013 B.S. Now, Nepal has the postal connection with
various countries. Up to 2015 B.S, letters were sent to foreign countries from Nepal with Indian
Stamps. But, Nepal started to send letters to foreign countries with its own stamps since 2016
B.S., Baishakh 1. In 2035, Nepal Postal Service crossed its centenary mark and celebrated its
centenary anniversary.
By the eighth five-year plan, Nepal had established 3, 660 post offices. In different 33 places of
the country, Internal Express Mail Service Centers with various 20 countries International
Express Mail Service Centers had been established. It also had started financial service. 85 post
offices had started money order system and 10 post offices had got the facility of postal saving
banking.
There are 5 Regional Directorates, 70 District Post Offices and 842 Area Post Offices. Along
with the increase in the number of post offices, types of stamps also had been increased. Postage
stamps ranging from 5paisa to Rs. 25 had been printed that carry the nation's recognition through
the pictures reflecting its culture, scenery, literary and different national figures.
Ninth five year plan (2054 - 59) had formulated the following strategic and operating policies:
i.

To develop self- governing administrative infrastructure inside the government sector that
is capable of providing professional, competitive and quality service and to maintain the
participation of the private sector.

ii.

To develop the postal service up to the rural level by improving the service quality and
effectiveness of postal service.

iii.

To run various financial and commercial services along with money- order and Postal
Saving Bank to develop economic self- dependency in postal service.

iv.

To emphasize in mechanization along with the promotion of advanced technology to

enrich the efficiency of postal service and change and improve the service system
according to the need of the time.

In the ninth five year plan (2054- 59), the Postal Service of Nepal achieved the following
achievements:

i.

Extra Department Post Office have been established in 800 VDCs. 95 Area Post Office
has been established to provide the postal service in the country.

ii.

It drafted the legal provision to develop Postal Service as a capable institution in

providing professional, competitive and quality service. Ninth five-year plan also
operated some programs of enriching some physical infrastructure and enriched its
service quality and made money order service effective.

The tenth five- year plan has formulated following strategic and operating policies:
i.

Postal service will be operated as an autonomous department to develop postal service as

a reliable, effective and economically prosperous. Institutions operated in the private
sector that provide the services of this nature will be regulated and their operations such
services will be promoted. E- Post service will be initiated in the postal service sector.

Methods of Sending letters

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The post office has given a number of options to send letters from one place to another place.
These options are known as methods of sending letters. The following are the common methods
of sending letters:
1. Ordinary letter:

The majority of letters sent through post offices fall under this category. Individuals and offices
send letters in this form when the message or information is ordinary and simple i.e. when the
message is not important or urgent or confidential. It requires postage stamps of Rs. 2. The post
offices do not keep the record of such letters. No one will be made responsible for the loss or

damage of such letter. This is not a safe method of sending important, urgent and confidential

matters.
Advantages:

It is an economical method which requires a minimum cost of postage

stamps.

It is the most suitable method for the simple and ordinary message.

It can be used even for sending long messages and texts.

It is the simple method which can be used by any person having at least idea
of sending a letter through the post office.

Disadvantages:

It is not suitable for urgent, important and valuable message and information.

It is not the safe method as the post office does not take any responsibility for
the loss or damage of the letters and documents in transit.

It does not assure the sender about the delivery of the letter of the right
receiver.

It is costlier for short message due to the requirement of separate paper and
envelope.

2. Registered letter:

The letter which is recorded by the post office in its book is called registered letter. The post
office records the name and address of the sender and receiver of the letter in its book. The post
office records the name and address of the sender and the receiver of the letter in its book. It
issues a receipt to the sender as an evidence of the letter received and registered. The post office
is responsible for the loss and damage of the letters. Registered letter is convenient and safe for
important, urgent and confidential matters. It requires more amount of postage stamps than an
ordinary letter. Moreover, the insurance of the letter enables the sender to make a financial claim
for the loss or damage of the letters, documents, and parcel.
Advantages:

It is suitable for important, urgent and confidential matters.

It is the safest method of sending letter and documents.

It assures the sender for the delivery of the letter to the right receiver due to
the provision of return receipt.

It assures the sender to get financial compensation for the loss or damage of
the letter, document, and parcel.

Disadvantages:

It is not suitable for simple or ordinary matters.

It is the expensive method of sending a letter which requires more amount of

postage stamp.

It does not assure the sender for timely delivery of the letter.

It requires proper knowledge of the process of registration, filling in the return

receipt and ensuring the letter.

3. Aerogram:

An aerogram is a printed sheet of paper issued by the post office for

writing and sending a message. It contains space for writing the name and address of the sender,
receiver and enough place for writing the message. It is bought from the post office at a nominal
cost. It is used for sending a simple, short and ordinary message. It is a cheaper method of
sending the message which does not require an additional sheet of paper, postage stamp, and
envelope. The post office does not allow to keep additional paper or document in the aerogram.
Advantages:

It is simple and easier method of sending a message of the personal affair.

It is a cheaper method of sending a message which requires a nominal cost

for an aerogram and postage stamp.

It does not require an additional sheet of paper and envelope.

It is suitable for sending relatively short, simple and ordinary message.

Disadvantages:

It is not suitable for important and confidential matters.

It cannot maintain the secrecy of the matters as some of the messages in the
aerogram are visible to others.

It cannot make the post office responsible for the loss or damage of the
message.

It cannot be used for sending a long text of the message as the space
available in an aerogram is limited.

4. Post Card:

A postcard is a printed card of thick paper issued by the post

office to send a short message. It contains space for writing name and address of the sender,
receiver and little space for writing a short message. It does not require an envelope. It is quite an
economical method of sending a short message like best wishes, congratulation messages,
invitation, and inquiry.
Advantages:

It is simple and easier method of sending a message.

It is suitable for expressing and sending best wishes, congratulation,

condolence, invitation, and inquiry.

It is a cheaper method which requires a nominal cost for the postcard and
postage stamp.

It does not require the additional sheet of paper and envelope.

Disadvantages:

It is not suitable for important, urgent and confidential message.

It does not maintain the secrecy of the message as the postcard travels
absolutely bare.

It cannot make the post office responsible for the loss or damage of the
message.

It leaves the user no rights to claim for the damage and loss of the message.

5. Express Mail Service (EMS):

EMS is the advanced and the latest postal service. EMS is available in 48 major towns and cities
of the country and 26 countries of the world. It is the best delivery solution. It is the generic
name for high speed, low cost and time bound guaranteed delivery service. It is affordable,
reliable, speedy, customer focused and technology based postal service. It meets the growing
customer demand for delivering their time sensitivity documents and merchandise items with
extra speed and without any procedural delays.
Electronic Communication service

Communication is the process of exchanging information from one place to another place and
from organization to another organization. It helps for making better coordination and effective
decision. It can be made through speaking, writing or using symbols. The organization should
use a suitable means of communication to pass a particular message. The following are the
means of electronic communication that are generally used by person or organization:
1. Fax: Fax is an electronic system of telecommunication which uses a
telephone line to send the message from one place to another place. It is one
of the popular means of the communication device by which text and
graphics from source can be transmitted and received in the same format. It
is a quite suitable means of communication for sending lengthy messages to
a distant place comparatively at a lower cost. Nowadays, computer and the
internet can be used instead of a fax machine to transmit the necessary
message from one place to another place.
2. Electronic mail (e- Mail): An e- mail is, generally, a text message sent
through the computer. It is done with the help of telephone and internet
service provider. But there are companies like hotmail.com, yahoo.com,
gmail.com and rediffmail.com that provide free mail- box to its clients. It is
the cheapest and the fastest means of communication. But it cannot always
be called the safest as the mail can be deleted by a person we never know.
3. Internet: Internet has become a market. Many people have transactions of
millions of dollars every day. E- Commerce is only possible through the
internet. This is a better means of communication of this modern age. It is the
latest advanced technology in the field of communication. The big world is

shrinking to a small house due to the internet facility. It helps to promote

trade and industry. It facilitates for buying and selling. It facilitates in the field
of education, health, trade, foreign trade, and defense. It has changed the
lifestyle of the people and opened the door for additional employment
opportunity.

ii.

Local level postal service related jobs will be handed over to the local business or bodies.