Singapore Post

Last updated

Singapore Post Limited
Company typePublic company
SGX: S08
Industry Conglomerate
Founded1819;205 years ago (1819) (as Singapore Post Office)
1 April 1992;32 years ago (1992-04-01) (as Singapore Post)
Headquarters
Paya Lebar, Singapore
Key people
Simon Israel, Chairman
Products Mail delivery
post offices
retail
Parent Temasek Holdings (21.74%)
Website singpost.com

Singapore Post Limited (SGX : S08 ), commonly abbreviated as SingPost, is an associate company of Singtel [1] and Singapore's designated Public Postal Licensee which provides domestic and international postal services.

Contents

It also provides logistics services in the domestic and international markets, warehousing and fulfillment, and global delivery services. SingPost also offers products and services including postal, agency and financial services through its post offices, Self-service Automated Machines (SAMs) and vPOST, its internet portal. Its headquarters is located in Paya Lebar, Singapore.

Today, Singapore has 13 operating offices worldwide, over 7,000 PopStation lockers, 269 Self-service Automated Machines (SAMs), and 56 Post Offices.[ citation needed ]

History

Early history

Fullerton Hotel, the former Fort Fullerton where the General Post office was located The Fullerton Hotel Singapore seen from Boat Quay - 20061216.jpg
Fullerton Hotel, the former Fort Fullerton where the General Post office was located

Postal Services were available in Singapore since the island was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Initially, mail services were handled by the military authorities and then by the Master Attendant in 1823. The volume of mail was very small in those days and letters were collected and delivered from a single mail office. The Post Office, as it was then known, shared a room with the Master Attendant's Marine Office and the clerk to the Registrar of Import and Export. The whole establishment of the post office in the 1830s consisted of one European clerk, one local writer and a peon.

To cope with the increasing volume of mail, the Post Office, then known as the Singapore Post Office, later General Post Office, was moved in 1854 to its own building near the Town Hall by the side of the Singapore River. Although it was more spacious, there were frequent complaints regarding its location. The Commercial Square (business sector) was on the opposite side of the river, so going to the Post office was inconvenient as one had to cross the river by boat. After 1856, a footbridge was constructed across the river and a toll of 1⁄4 cent was levied.

As trade flourished in Singapore and both postal and marine traffic grew heavier, the Post Office was separated from the Marine Office and it became a separate department in October 1858. During the period 1819 and 1858, letters for posting had to be handed in at the Post Office. No postage stamps were used but a register was kept of all letters received at the Post Office and of the names of sailing ships on which they were conveyed.

Stamped receipts were also given for all letters sent to the Post Office for dispatch. For the convenience of the residents, a register was kept of their individual postage accounts on the understanding that all postage due would be regularly settled every month. The first postage stamps were introduced for payment of postage only in 1854. In the early days, the flagstaff at Government Hill (now Fort Canning) was eagerly watched as flying of a flag at daylight, or the firing of a gun at night, signified the arrival of a ship with mail. This infused new life into the quiet community.

On receipt of letters from incoming ships, the Post Office sorters would proceed to register alphabetically all the letters before sending them out through the postmen for delivery. Postal delivery services by means of bullock cart, horse carriage or on foot, were first restricted to the town area. Posting boxes were later installed in the town area for the posting of mail which were then collected by horse-drawn mail coaches.

In 1873, a new General Post office was built on the site of the former Fort Fullerton, a location which was much nearer to the commercial centre of the town. However, the British Government failed to foresee the needs of the future, with the result that the building had to be replaced by another on practically the same site. The new General Post Office was completed in 1885, three years after approval was obtained.

The General Post Office was closed on 23 April 1921. All the equipment were moved to a building on the recently reclaimed land at Collyer Quay, and staff worked at this temporary post office during the construction of Fullerton Building. The post office was transferred back to Fullerton Building on 23 July 1928 and has remained there since.

The latter part of the 19th century marked the modern phase of the development in the history of the Singapore postal service. Services were extended to include a parcel post service, money order and postal order services and a post office savings bank. 1897 saw the establishment of the first sub-post offices, and by 1938, some 20 sub-post offices were already providing decentralised postal facilities on the island. The horse-drawn mail coaches were withdrawn and replaced by motor vans in 1914 as the mail traffic handled steadily increased.

Modern history

In 1979, it was reported that the Postal Services Department would be merged with Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS). [2] In 1980, Communications Minister, Ong Teng Cheong announced that a consideration was done to merge the Department and TAS. [3] The merger was scheduled to be done by April 1982 but was postponed to be completed in July 1982. [3] The department and TAS was finally merged on 1 October 1982. [4]

Singapore Post Centre in Paya Lebar, the headquarters of SingPost. Singapore Post Headquarters (2336054323).jpg
Singapore Post Centre in Paya Lebar, the headquarters of SingPost.

In 1992, Telecoms was split into three entities, the reconstituted TAS (later becoming Infocomm Media Development Authority), Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) and Singapore Post Private Limited, an associated company of Singapore Telecommunications. [5]

In 1993, Singapore Post introduced Q-TV, a video-based "advertising medium" which shows post office information and commercials, targeting customers waiting for the next available counter. [6]

Singapore Post Limited was then incorporated on 28 March and then listed on the mainboard of the Singapore Exchange (SGX-ST) on 13 May 2003. It was then granted the first Public Postal License by TAS. As a licensee, Singapore Post is allowed to operate postal services - receiving, collecting and delivering letters and postcards from one place to another until 31 March 2037. [7]

SingPost was fined S$100,000 in 2017 [8] and S$300,000 in 2018 [9] for failing to meet mail delivery standards by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

On the evening on 22 December 2024, it was announced that CEO Vincent Phang was sacked together with two other senior executives over mishandling of whistleblower's report. [10]

Mobile post office

The Mobile Post Office was introduced in November 1952 and was operated by Postal Services Department. It provided on-the-spot postal services to residents living in rural areas where there were no post offices. The vans followed fixed routes and time schedules which were announced in the newspapers and each visit only lasted about one to two hours. As more postal facilities were set up across the island, the mobile post offices were used as temporary post offices while a permanent post office is being built. [11] The mobile post office were withdrawn from service in 1980. [12]

Growth

Singapore Post Novena Post Office Singapore Post Novena Post Office.jpg
Singapore Post Novena Post Office

SingPost has made several acquisitions to strengthen and grow its business. In 2009, it acquired the remaining 50% stake in G3 Worldwide Aspac (G3AP), [13] thereby giving the company presence in 10 countries (including Singapore). It also raised its stake in Malaysian Logistics company GDEX to 27% in 2011. [14]

In 2009, SingPost bought Quantium Solutions, a joint venture between SingPost, Dutch TNT and Britain's Royal Mail. [15] In 2014, its whole-owned subsidiary Quantium Solutions (Australia) acquired 100% of Couriers Please Holdings, an Australia-based last mile delivery company, from New Zealand Post Group. [16]

Alibaba bought a 10.35% stake in SingPost for S$312.5 million in May 2014. Both parties also signed an agreement to pursue a joint venture in the business of e-commerce logistics. In 2018, SingPost chose to integrate AI-assisted route planning software from LogiNext into its logistics platform, dubbed LaMP. [17]

In October 2015, SingPost acquired a 96.3 per cent stake in TradeGlobal for US$168.6 million (S$210 million), thereby expanding its e-commerce footprint in the United States. [18] SingPost also trialed a drone delivery system, using a commercial drone modified by a joint team from SingPost and Infocomm Development Authority Labs. [19]

In December 2020, SingPost acquired a 28% stake in Freight Management Holdings (FMH), a leading 4th party logistics (4PL) service company in Australia. Its stake was increased to 51% in November 2021 and in January 2023 it acquired an additional 37% interest, bringing its total stake in FMH to 88%. [20]

In December 2024, SingPost announced its plan to divest its Australian business, FMH, for a cash consideration of A$775.9 million (US$504.1 million). [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post office</span> Customer service facility of a postal system

A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional services, which vary by country. These include providing and accepting government forms, and processing government services and fees. The chief administrator of a post office is called a postmaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Postal Service</span> Independent agency of the U.S. federal government

The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States, its insular areas and associated states. It is one of a few government agencies explicitly authorized by the Constitution of the United States. As of 2023, the USPS has 525,469 career employees and 114,623 non-career employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NZ Post</span> Postal service in New Zealand

NZ Post, shortened from New Zealand Post, is a state-owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singtel</span> Telecommunications company in Singapore

Singapore Telecommunications Limited, doing business as Singtel, is a Singaporean telecommunications conglomerate, the country's principal fixed-line operator and one of the four major mobile network operators operating in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postage stamps and postal history of Russia</span>

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the modern Russian Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia Post</span> Australian postal service

Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation and also known as AusPost, is an Australian Government-owned corporation that provides postal services throughout Australia. Australia Post's head office is located on Swan Street in Richmond Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Post</span> Licensed universal service provider of mail service for the Bailiwick of Jersey

Jersey Post is the licensed universal service provider of mail service for the Bailiwick of Jersey.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post Danmark</span>

Post Danmark A/S, trading as PostNord Denmark, is the national provider of postal services in Denmark. It was established as a fully state-owned stock holder's company in 1995 following political liberalization efforts. Post Danmark had taken over the mail delivery concession of its predecessor, the governmental department Postvæsenet, which was established in 1624. Post Danmark A/S was turned into a public limited company in 2002. In 2005, 22% of the company shares were sold to CVC Capital Partners, 3.5% of the company shares were partly sold to employees at a discount, partly kept in reserve for a management incentives program. In 2009, it was merged with the Swedish Posten AB to form PostNord, a joint postal service company between Denmark and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Post</span> Russian national postal operator

Russian Post is an Aktsionernoye Obschestvo which is the national postal operator of Russia. The company is responsible for the delivery of mail in Russia, and the issuing of postage stamps. Russian Post employs about 390,000 people and has over 42,000 post offices, with its headquarters in Moscow. In 2012 the Russian Post delivered more than 2.4 billion pieces of mail and accounted for more than 54 million parcels and more than 100 million in remittances. In March 2013 a presidential decree signed by President Vladimir Putin included the Russian Post in a list of so-called strategic enterprises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pos Malaysia</span> National service courier provider of Malaysia

Pos Malaysia Berhad is a postal delivery service in Malaysia, with history dating back to early 1800s.

Pakistan Post is a state enterprise which functions as Pakistan's primary and largest postal operator. 49,502 employees through a vehicle fleet of 5,000 operate traditional "to the door" service from more than 13,419 post offices across the country, servicing over 50 million people. Pakistan Post operates under the autonomous "Postal Services Management Board" to deliver a full range of delivery, logistics and fulfillment services to customers.

In Singapore, there are 11,512,900 broadband Internet subscribers. There are three major Internet service providers in Singapore, namely, Singtel, StarHub, and M1 and other growing providers like MyRepublic and ViewQwest. Over the years, the Singapore Government has been promoting the usage of broadband Internet access, as part of its Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) and Smart Nation initiative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Poste (France)</span> Postal service company in France

La Poste is a postal service company in France, operating in Metropolitan France, the five French overseas departments and regions and the overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Under bilateral agreements, La Poste also has responsibility for mail services in Monaco through La Poste Monaco and in Andorra alongside the Spanish company Correos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wireless@SG</span> Wireless broadband programme

Wireless@SG is a wireless broadband programme developed by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore as part of its Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure initiative, being part of the nation's 10-year masterplan called Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hrvatska pošta</span>

HP-Hrvatska pošta d.d., founded in 1999, is a state-owned joint-stock company in Croatia that performs postal and payment transactions. It is the national postal operator of the Republic of Croatia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile post office</span> Type of postal service infrastructure

Mobile post offices deliver mail and other postal services through specially equipped vehicles, such as trucks and trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austrian Post</span> Company responsible for postal service in Austria

The Austrian Post is a company that provides postal service in Austria. It was established in 1999 after a split-off from the state-owned PTT agency Post und Telekom Austria AG and is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postage stamps and postal history of Singapore</span>

Postage stamps and postal history of Singapore surveys postal history from Singapore and the postage stamps issued by that country and its various historical territories until the present day. Postal service in Singapore began with the delivery of stampless letters whose cost was borne by the receiving person, later encompassed pre-paid letters carried by private mail carriers and provisional post offices, and culminated in a system of universal prepayment that required all letters to bear nationally issued adhesive postage stamps. Singapore is an island country off maritime Southeast Asia, located between the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postage stamps and postal history of Thailand</span>

This is a survey of the postal history and postage stamps of Thailand.

References

  1. ↑ "SingTel Associated Company". SingTel. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "Merger plan for Posts and Telecoms". The Straits Times . 11 October 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 13 September 2023– via NewspaperSG.
  3. 1 2 "Telecoms merger put off to July". The Straits Times . 10 March 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 13 September 2023– via NewspaperSG.
  4. ↑ Goh, Eng Kee; Koh, Tse Ying (22 November 1982). "Merger with a human face". The Business Times . p. 2. Retrieved 13 September 2023– via NewspaperSG.
  5. ↑ "Agency Details - Government Records - Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS)". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  6. ↑ "Set fact: You can't miss it". The Straits Times. 15 August 1995. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  7. ↑ "LICENCE TO PROVIDE POSTAL SERVICES" (PDF). IMDA.
  8. ↑ Tay, Tiffany Fumiko (7 February 2019). "SingPost fined $100k for failing to meet local mail delivery standards in 2017". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  9. ↑ Tay, Tiffany Fumiko (29 March 2019). "SingPost fined record $300,000 for failing to meet service standards in 2018". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  10. ↑ https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singpost-fires-3-senior-executives-ceo-cfo-whistleblower-report-4821631
  11. ↑ "Mobile PO for CLementi". The Straits Times . 27 February 1978. p. 12. Retrieved 13 September 2023– via NewspaperSG.
  12. ↑ "MOBILE POST OFFICE, c.1970". National Archives of Singapore. 27 March 2015. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "SingPost acquires stake in G3 Worldwide Aspac". 27 April 2009.
  14. ↑ "SingPost raises stake in GDEX to 27%".
  15. ↑ "Will new CEO Paul Coutts be able to revive market interest in SingPost?". The Edge Malaysia. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  16. ↑ "SingPost buys Australian delivery company CouriersPlease". The Straits Times. 3 December 2014. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  17. ↑ Heng, Janice (10 December 2018). "SingPost to use AI to improve parcel traceability, reliability for customers across South-east Asia". The Business Times . Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "SingPost acquires US e-commerce provider TradeGlobal for S$236m". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  19. ↑ Hermes (9 October 2015). "It's a bird... it's a plane... it's the postman | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  20. ↑ "SingPost to buy stake in Australia logistics service firm for $84.1 million". The Straits Times. 19 October 2020. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  21. ↑ "SingPost to divest Australia business for US$504 million". CNA. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.