Indonesia’s Minister of Information and Technology, Sofyan A. Djalil, has pledged support to the members of the Indonesian Express Delivery Companies’ Association (Asperindo) after earlier issuing a circular letter that had put the sector in jeopardy in the last few months.

The circular had stressed the monopoly of state-run postal fi rm PT Pos Indonesia (Posindo).

Djalil said he apologised to the members of the association as he was unaware of the impact that the circular had caused. Asperindo claimed that members reported revenue decline by 50 percent since the circular was issued in January this year.

In the circular, the government threatened criminal prosecution against private companies which handle the delivery of mails up to 2,000 grams. The circular stated that this type of mail should be handled by Posindo. Asperindo had appealed that the government should end Posindo’s monopoly in this sector and said it supported a special postal bill, which is now being deliberated by Commission I of the House of Representatives. The bill is expected to be ratifi ed in the second half of this year. – Siktus Harson