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PRESS RELEASE
COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY
http://www.iraqcoalition.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sam Whitfield
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
whitfields@orha.centcom.mil
Iraqi Postal Service Announces the Opening of the International
Service Center and Introduces the New Iraqi Postal Code System
Baghdad, Iraq – Dr. Haider Al Abadi, Iraq’s Minister of Communication, and
Ibraheem Hussien Ali, Iraq’s Postmaster General, announced the opening of the
International Service Center and the introduction of Iraq’s new Postal Code
system in a ceremony at the Baghdad International Airport air cargo terminal.
International Service Center:
The International Service Center (ISC) will play a vital role in rebuilding the
economy of Iraq through encouraging international commerce by creating a
worldwide gateway for mail entering and exiting the country. The ISC enables
Iraq to have greater access and quicker delivery to global goods and services
which will improve the quality of life for the Iraqi people. The ISC facility,
located at the Baghdad International Airport, will serve as the primary
recipient for (inbound) and dispatch for (outbound) all international mail
operating under the established arrangements of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
Iraq’s membership in the UPU will ensure coordination of postal policies with
the worldwide postal system. The benefits of the ISC and membership in the UPU
are important to all of Iraq and businesses operating within, as it facilitates
the ability to send and receive international mail.
New Postal Codes:
In 1991 and 2003, Iraq developed a Postal Code system which was not widely
utilized. Both attempts tried to identify the street or delivery address, along
with the Province and post office. Unfortunately, both of these attempts had
built-in limitations that would not allow for expansion and were much more
complex than necessary.
In 2004, Iraq’s Postmaster General, Mr. Ibraheem Hussien Ali, and CPA/MoC postal
advisors initiated an effort to correct and modernize the Iraqi Postal Code
system. The Iraqi Post team developed a comprehensive Postal Code numbering
system to better serve the Iraqi people. After agreeing to several modifications
of the five-digit Postal Code the team met the principal objectives: to expedite
the processing, transportation, delivery, and economics of the mail system. A
few of the major benefits of using a coding system is the increase in the
security of the mail due to the reduction in hand sorting and a quicker more
accurate delivery to the customer.
Adoption of a comprehensive Postal Code is the first step toward address
standardization and automated sortation. Keeping the design simple and flexible
will allow for the future growth of mail distribution in Iraq. The new Postal
Code utilize a simple five (5) digit scheme that identifies the geographic
region, Province and each post office within the Provinces. At the post office
level, the Postal Code will identify a post office box (box-line) or business
holdout.
The most important revision to Iraq’s Postal Code system is that the five digits
would only be utilized on the bottom line of the address block. This simple
scheme allows for future growth without completely changing or modifying the
system. The specific address of delivery line (second line in address block) was
resolved utilizing a simple address delivery scheme. Both the second and third
lines of the address block will have different schemes or format rules.
Postal Code Example:
6 1 0 0 2
• The first digit is the geographic region of the country
• The second identifies the Province
• The third identifies the type of delivery
(0=street, 1= PO Box, 2-9= Assigned to large businesses)
• The last two digits identify the specific post office
Name Mr Ibraheem Hussien Mr Ahmed Tarek
Street/PO Box Address Post Office Box 654 10 Qahwa Share’a
City*, Province Al Asmaee, Al Basrah Al Asmaee, Al Basrah
Postal Code 61102 61002
Specific Postal Codes can be reserved for government and large business use. The
system is also designed to incorporate future modernization of the Iraqi Post
and Savings by automating the letter and flat processes. Within the City of
Baghdad, the post office name (neighborhood) is used in lieu of the city name.
Key Benefits of Postal Codes:
• Facilitates emergency response of fire, police, and EMT services.
• Straightforwardness of sorting: Regions, Provinces, Governorates, Districts,
Cities and individual post offices.
• Reduces missorts and misdeliveries.
• Facilitates the processing, transporting, and delivery of mail.
• Improves the speed and reliability of service.
• Increases security, quality, and productivity of the entire process.
• Adaptable to automation and bar-coding.
• Increases economy of scale with volume growth.
• International recognition - Iraq’s Postal Code will be incorporated into the
Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) database.
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