Snail mail at a standstill

RECEIVING letters and parcels is something that has come to be mostly taken for granted in places like Britain. So it should be in North Cyprus. An efficient postal service is part of a civilised, modern society; a linchpin of commerce and communications that is complemented, rather than entirely replaced, by new-era electronic methods.

It’s arguably of critical importance to expats in particular; a lifeline to friends and family — with the heartwarming little treats of birthday and Christmas cards or gifts — as well as to more mundane matters “back home”.

Britons who visit, then move, to North Cyprus, probably see it as a half-familiar place, with colonial influences still to be seen everywhere, and may think life here is going to be a lot like home, but with better weather. Then they discover otherwise.

Services in the TRNC have, in many ways, improved over recent decades. Yet far from getting better, the evidence — anecdotally at least, since there is no official information — is that the bugbear of non-arriving mail may be getting worse.

What’s particularly frustrating is that, despite the best efforts of expat organisations and this newspaper to get to the heart of the perennial problem, those with real power to do so simply don’t seem to bother.

The current excuses are legion — probably genuine — but this has been going on for years, and if it mattered enough to the TRNC Post Office they have had ample opportunity to get to the bottom of the issue and do their best to resolve it.

That they haven’t, leads increasingly to one conclusion: they don’t give a damn.

Now the four-party coalition has swept into power like a new broom tackling long-neglected stains on life in North Cyprus.

The postal system — or rather its abject failings — is certainly one such stubborn spot, long overdue a proper clean-up. Come on, Mr Minister, time to roll those sleeves up.