World Bank2013-03-142013-03-142012https://hdl.handle.net/10986/12709Postal networks in the nine countries in the Asian region profiled here have 289,067 post offices. In many of these Asian countries, post offices have provided payments and savings services for more than 130 years. At the end of 2002, 335 million Asians had postal savings accounts, for a total balance of USD 83 billion (about 20 percent of the adult population). In China and Vietnam, postal savings have only been recently established, but are growing quickly. In addition to payment services, it provides domestic money transfers, including collecting bill payments. In some countries, e.g. Thailand, the role of postal networks in the payments system is significant. In general, however, transaction volumes for savings and payments together appear low, suggesting that many of these accounts may be dormant and may play only a marginal role in the payment system. Vigorous reform is required to develop intrinsically strong and competent institutions. The issue is not limited to repositioning postal financial services in the financial sector (instead of the public postal sector), the issue is also repositioning the postal network as the front-end of the financial sector and the modern information services (instead of the back office for mail processing, collection, and distribution). A vigorous approach will therefore have to include assessment of options, such as participation of and/or alliances with privately managed financial institutions, cross-border co-operation, private postal agents, and a process and approach not necessarily dependent on the pace and course of postal reform.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS POINTACCESS POINTSACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICESACCESS TO INSURANCEACCOUNTINGACCOUNTING STANDARDSACTUAL COSTSAIR CARGOAIR FREIGHTAIRMAILAIRMAIL SERVICESATM CARDATM CARDSATM NETWORKAVERAGE BALANCEBALANCE SHEETBANK ACCOUNTBANK BRANCHBANK BRANCH NETWORKBANK BRANCH NETWORKSBANK BRANCHESBANKING NETWORKSBANKING SERVICESBULK MAILBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTBUSINESS PLANBUSINESS VOLUMECASH PAYMENTSCASH REMITTANCESCASH TRANSFERSCOMMERCIAL BANKCOMMERCIAL BANKSCOMMERCIALIZATIONCOST-EFFICIENCYCOUNTER NETWORKCREDIT PRODUCTSCREDIT RISKCROSS-SUBSIDIESCURRENT ACCOUNTSCUSTOMER BASESDEBIT CARDSDEFICITSDEPOSITDEPOSIT ACCOUNTSDEPOSIT MOBILIZATIONDEPOSIT PRODUCTSDEPOSITORDEPOSITSDEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCEDEVELOPMENT BANKDEVELOPMENT BANKSDEVELOPMENT FINANCEDIRECT MAILDISTRIBUTION OF COURIERDIVERSIFICATIONDOMESTIC MAILE-BANKINGE-GOVERNMENTE-MAILELECTRONIC MAILELECTRONIC MAIL SERVICEEXPENDITUREEXPRESS MAILFINANCIAL CRISESFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSFINANCIAL PERFORMANCEFINANCIAL PRODUCTSFINANCIAL RESOURCESFINANCIAL SERVICEFINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERSFINANCIAL SERVICESFINANCIAL SYSTEMFINANCIAL TRANSACTIONSFLOW OF MONEYFORMAL FINANCIAL SECTORFORMAL FINANCIAL SERVICESHOUSEHOLDSHYBRID MAILIDINCOME GROUPSINFORMATION SERVICESINFORMATION SYSTEMSINITIAL DEPOSITINITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGINSTITUTIONAL REFORMINSURANCEINSURANCE AGENCYINSURANCE SERVICESINTEREST RATEINTEREST RATESINTERNATIONAL FINANCEINTERNATIONAL MAILINTERNATIONAL POSTALMAIL BUSINESSMAIL FLOWSMAIL ITEMSMAIL PROCESSINGMAIL SERVICEMAIL SERVICESMAIL SORTINGMAIL SORTING CENTERSMAIL VOLUMESMANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMSMARKETINGMICROFINANCEMICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONSMIGRATIONMONEY LAUNDERINGMONEY ORDERMONEY TRANSFERMONEY TRANSFERSMUTUAL FUNDSNATIONAL POSTALNATIONAL POSTAL OPERATORSNUMBER OF POSTAL OPERATORSNUMBER OF POSTSOPERATING REVENUESOPERATIONAL COSTSORDINARY MAILOUTREACHPACKAGESPARCEL SERVICESPARCELSPAYMENT SERVICESPAYMENT SYSTEMSPAYMENTS INSTRUMENTSPAYMENTS SERVICESPAYROLL SERVICESPENSIONSPOINT OF SALEPOSTPOST CORPORATIONPOST OFFICEPOST OFFICE COUNTERPOST OFFICE SAVINGSPOST OFFICE SAVINGS BANKPOST OFFICE SAVINGS BANKSPOST OFFICESPOSTALPOSTAL ACCOUNTSPOSTAL AGENTSPOSTAL BANKPOSTAL BANKINGPOSTAL BANKSPOSTAL BUSINESSPOSTAL COUNTERSPOSTAL EXPRESSPOSTAL FINANCEPOSTAL FINANCIAL SERVICESPOSTAL LIFE INSURANCEPOSTAL MAILPOSTAL MANAGEMENTPOSTAL MARKETPOSTAL MARKETSPOSTAL MONEY ORDERPOSTAL MONEY ORDERSPOSTAL NETWORKPOSTAL NETWORKSPOSTAL OPERATIONSPOSTAL OPERATORPOSTAL OPERATORSPOSTAL ORGANIZATIONSPOSTAL OUTLETSPOSTAL POLICYPOSTAL REFORMPOSTAL REFORMSPOSTAL REVENUESPOSTAL SAVINGSPOSTAL SAVINGS BANKSPOSTAL SERVICEPOSTAL SERVICE MODELSPOSTAL SERVICESPOSTAL STAFFPOSTAL SYSTEMPOSTAL SYSTEMSPOSTSPRIVATE ENTREPRENEURPRIVATE ENTREPRENEURSPRIVATE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSPRIVATE FINANCIAL SECTORPRIVATE OPERATORSPRIVATIZATIONPRODUCTIVITYPROFITABILITYPUBLIC AGENCIESPUBLIC POSTAL OPERATORPUBLIC POSTAL OPERATORSPUBLIC POSTAL SECTORPUBLIC SERVICEQUALITY OF SERVICEREMITTANCERETAIL BANKINGRURAL CREDITRURAL CREDIT COOPERATIVERURAL POST OFFICESSAVINGS ACCOUNTSSAVINGS BANK ACCOUNTSSAVINGS MOBILIZATIONSAVINGS PRODUCTSAVINGS PRODUCTSSAVINGS SERVICESAVINGS SERVICESSOLVENCYSTATE BANKSSTATE ENTERPRISESSUBSIDIARYTAX EXEMPTIONSTELECOMMUNICATIONSTELEPHONE SERVICESTIME DEPOSITSTRADITIONAL MAILUNFAIR COMPETITIONUNIVERSAL POSTALUNIVERSAL POSTAL UNIONUNIVERSAL SERVICEUPUURBAN AREASWORLDWIDE POSTAL NETWORKWorld Bank10.1596/12709