Hot news: Letters still do exist!
View(s):By Sachin Parathalingam
Sri Lankans received an average 15 letters (or snail mail as it called today) in 2012 and though a sharp drop from 25 in 2003 is a reflection that members of the general public are still using letters as a means of communication today, according to the Central Bank (CB).
Speaking to the Business Times Postmaster General Rohana Abeyratne stated, “People are still sending letters despite the popular misconception that this is no longer the case”.
He noted that especially in rural areas letters are still “a primary source of personal communication” with the number of letters dispatched per day in rural areas still remaining high.
Mr. Abeyratne said that post is still the “main method of communication for businesses and public agencies in urban areas”. He noted that general documents such as electricity bills and invoices are still sent via the post adding that the “government sector is still a major contributor” to the high volume of postal circulation in urban areas. He said “90 per cent of postal communication in urban cities accounts for business communication”.
The CB report also highlights the popularity of the ‘digital era’ with email and social media becoming primary modes of communication.
The CB report also reveals an increase in mobile phone communications from 2003-2012 with the number of cellular phone subscribers as at 2012 exceeding 20 million as per the report. This too has accelerated the decline in the use of postal services, a fact confirmed by the Postmaster General who said “SMS usage has led to falling demand for postal services as instant communication is understandably more desirable to consumers”. Yet despite the general drop in postal activity in recent years Sri Lanka is unlikely to see letters disappearing anytime soon.
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