SINGAPORE – The cost of sending most international airmail letters, printed papers, aerogrammes and postcards will go up by five cents from Jan 1, Singapore Post announced on Dec 7.
Exceptions include rates for aerogrammes to Malaysia and Brunei, which will remain at 80 cents each, as well as mail charges for additional weightage. For aerogrammes to all countries, except Malaysia and Brunei, the new rate will be 85 cents, up from 80 cents currently.
The postal service provider said its upcoming rate hike was the result of annual fee revisions made by the Universal Postal Union, which in turn led to a progressive increase of international postal settlement rates over the years.
This settlement fee is payable to postal organisations of destination countries for mail delivery.
SingPost’s five cent rate increase applies to zone 1 (Malaysia and Brunei), zone 2 (countries in Asia and the Pacific except Australia, Japan and New Zealand) and zone 3 (Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the rest of the world).
For mail – comprising letters and printed papers – to zone 1, the new rate will be raised to 85 cents from 80 cents for mail weighing up to 20g; $1.05 cents for mail up to 50g (from $1); and $1.45 for mail up to 100g (from $1.40).
The rate for every additional 100g of mail to zone 1 will remain unchanged at $1.10. Postcards to this zone will be charged at 75 cents apiece, compared with 70 cents previously.
Rates for mail going to zone 2 will be raised to 95 cents from 90 cents for the first 20g, with charges for every additional 10g to remain unchanged at 25 cents. Postcards going to zone 2 will be charged 85 cents per piece as opposed to 80 cents previously.
A rate of $1.55 for the first 20g of mail will apply to zone 3 destinations, compared with $1.50 previously, with no change to the 35 cents charged for every additional 10g. A higher 85 cents rate will apply to postcards per piece to this zone, up from 80 cents.
Weight limits stated for mail rates to all three zones are capped at 2kg.
In late 2022, SingPost announced it would raise its postage, package and doorstep parcel delivery rates from Jan 1, 2023, in line with earlier goods and services tax hikes.
From Oct 9, 2023, the group increased its standard regular mail rate by 20 cents, or 65 per cent, to 51 cents. It was previously 31 cents. This marked the first significant rate increment introduced by SingPost since 2014.
Shares of SingPost closed flat at 45 cents on Dec 7. THE BUSINESS TIMES
