By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Local Government Minister Renward Wells confirmed yesterday that the General Post Office has been shredding mail, but said the exercise has been consistent with international standards. He characterised the mail that has been shredded as “undeliverable.”

Mr Wells said in 1974, the Bahamas acceded to the United Postal Union, which sprung from the 1874 Treaty of Bern and which sets rules and standards for the handling of mail among countries. He said from that sprung the country’s Post Office Act.

He said: “The Post Office rules offer prescriptions for the treatment of undeliverable letters, post cards, small packets, printed and commercial papers or samples as well as parcels depending on their origin. In each case the law ultimately provides for their retention and resale (if they are of value) or for their destruction (if they are of no value). The conventional means of destruction is shredding. The rules authorise the postmaster general to make decisions as to their disposal (either immediate, after one month, after two months, or up to one year) on a case-by-case basis.”

Mr Wells said the deliberate destruction of undeliverable mail happened last month November 1 and 2.

“Customers can be assured that the Post Office Department takes the security and delivery of mail very seriously and that operations remain within the ambit of the law,” he said. “To assist our efforts, all customers are encouraged to clear their private post boxes regularly. The Ministry of Transport and Local Government under this minister has resolved that the standard of the post office will be restored to one that will regain the respect of our international partners. Postal workers and the Bahamian public have been in excess of three years without an adequate means for providing this essential service.”

His statement came days after Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) President Kimsley Ferguson raised concerns about shredding in a report by Eyewitness News.

“Instructions were given by the postmistress to bring mail from various post offices to the East Hill Location to have them shredded,” Mr Ferguson said previously. “This is indeed a concern because I’ve been having challenges with my mail personally and so has the union.

“We haven’t been getting them in a timely fashion. The concern is, they are pertinent documents that may be in the mail that may have been pending for some time that may either take the life of an individual into destruction or that can take them in a positive direction. I would like this information confirmed as to who would’ve given instructions.”

On Wednesday, Mr Wells said his ministry would look into the claims raised by Mr Ferguson.