Stamps to meet international standards

by Mohammed Naalir

The Postal Services Ministry will issue standardised stamps targeting the international market. This move will help earn more foreign remittances, Postal Services Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said.

He said an international standard printing machine will be purchased for this purpose. The stamps currently in use will also be printed with the help of the new machine. Certain shortcomings in the present printing system can also be solved with the installation of the new machine.

Fernando was addressing a meeting at the Ministry to discuss the issue of standardised stamps.

He said Sri Lanka's stamps will increase in value after the introduction of standardisation.

The Philatelic Bureau currently issues stamps only for the local market. The Postal Services Ministry has now taken steps to issue stamps focusing the international market, the Secretary said.

Stamps will be printed to international standards, depicting Sri Lanka's identity, to attract more foreign tourists, he said.

Fernando said even though foreign philatelists are willing to purchase Lankan stamps, certain shortcomings have proved to be a barrier.

"Due to this, a means of earning foreign remittances has been blocked and this barrier should be removed. This is our main focus of the year", Fernando said.