Page 441 - Bahrain Gov annual reports(V)_Neat

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BAHRAIN POSTAL SERVICE
Report by Mr. Mohammed Ali Taitoon, Postmaster.

Total Payments .. Rs. 719,302
Total Receipts .. Rs. 719,302
Sales of British Postage Stamps (per month) Rs. 51,771
Sales of Bahrain Postage Stamps (per month) Rs. 756
Parcels Delivery (per month) .. Rs. 2,657
Letters Delivery (per day) 11,176
Letter and Parcels enquiries 295

Bahrain Postage Stamps. Despite the Government circular of March 1953 instructing all •:
Government Departments to use the post oflice as an intermediary in sending correspondence
to members of the public, the response has not been very great as our sales of stamps are still
hardly 50 per cent, over that of 1953.
New stamps of half-anna and 1 anna denominations were introduced. This was done to
make the 1J anna stamp, already in use, devisible.

Street Boxes. The erection of boxes in some of the streets of the town of Manama has
met with great success. We collect from the boxes about two hundred letters daily. Arrange­
ments are now being made to increase the numbers in the town as well as in the villages.

The British Postage Stamps. The sale of the British Postage Stamps has increased by
about 10 per cent, over last year. This is due to the presence of the British troops in Bahrain,
Government enterprises, brisk trade, and disappearing illiteracy. The increase in the number
of letters handled last year is due to the same reasons.

Muharraq Sub-Post Office. The Muharraq Sub-Post Oflice has been closed down. The
income of that office for 1955 was Rs. 200/-, while the expenditure was Rs. 700/-. The office
was opened during the second world war to facilitate postal services for the troops stationed at
Muharraq and for the contractors who were enlarging the Muharraq air-strip immediately
after the war.

Airmail Service. Second class airmail service to all parts of the world was introduced.
Printed papers, samples and commercial papers such as receipts and statements of accounts,
can now be despatched to every country at nearly half the rate of the first-class airmail.

General. I visited England during the summer to study the British Postal system. As a
result of my studies, the following improvements will be introduced in the Bahrain Postal
Service :
(1) Parcels will be delivered to the people in their places instead of their coming to the
Post Office to collect them.
(2) Delay in serving the people on the counter of the Post Office will be cut down.
(3) Shops to sell stamps will be organised throughout the country.
(4) Inspection systems will be introduced.

On November 1st, the third General Strike took place. Curfew was imposed and we had
to stay indoors until the 5th of the month. On the 5th, when we came back to work, the floor
of the post oflice was entirely covered with mail bags, but by the afternoon of that day all the
bags were opened and the mail distributed.