IDA slaps SingPost with $30,000 fine for missing mail

SingPost failed to issue lock for trolleys.

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has imposed a financial penalty of $30,000 on SingPost Ltd for a breach of its Public Postal Licence condition. IDA had investigated into the incident of missing mail on 5 September 2013 at Woodlands Circle and found SingPost in breach of its licence which requires it to establish, maintain and comply with measures and procedures to ensure that the risk of loss, theft and damage to letters is minimised.

At the time of the incident, SingPost had not issued any lock or chain for trolleys used by its postmen which increased the risk of mail being stolen, as mailbags and trolleys used to deliver mail could not be properly secured. In addition, investigations also revealed that nylon bags used for the transport of mail by SingPost’s postmen were only slightly water-resistant which risked mail getting wet in the event of heavy rain.

In arriving at the proposed penalty of $30,000, IDA took into account the circumstances leading to the incident of missing mail and SingPost’s measures and procedures to prevent such occurrences. IDA had also considered SingPost’s service recovery efforts to trace the missing mail and its subsequent improvements to enhance mail security to prevent similar incidents in the future. Improvements made include the issuance of new water resistant, lockable trolley bags and standard bicycles with lockable boxes for mail delivery.

SingPost has also enhanced its Standard Operating Procedures and rules for postmen to emphasise the importance of mail security.

Mr Leong Keng Thai, IDA’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director-General (Telecoms and Post), said, “IDA takes a serious view of SingPost’s obligations as a Public Postal Licensee in its provision of basic postal service and that SingPost continues to ensure mail security and integrity moving forward.”