Photo: AFP
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has acknowledged routing errors that caused chronic delays in mail delivery to the Northern Mariana Islands, and says it has begun corrective action.
In a 5 June letter to acting postmaster-general Doug Tulino, CNMI delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds cited repeated complaints from residents and businesses about waiting up to two months for packages and letters from the mainland.
The delays, she said, were linked to mail being sent by sea instead of air - contrary to USPS policy - after processing at the San Francisco distribution centre.
An internal review confirmed that priority mail and lightweight ground advantage parcels under 16 ounces had been wrongly placed in sea transport containers, compounding delivery delays.
USPS said it has now instructed facilities to validate routing procedures so that these categories are sent by air to offshore destinations, including the CNMI, from 1 July.
"We've been hearing from residents and businesses across the CNMI about unacceptable delays in receiving essential goods and communications," King-Hinds said.
"I'm glad to report that USPS has not only acknowledged the problem but is taking corrective action."
In a written apology, USPS said: "We understand the extent to which our customers, especially those in CNMI and other territories, rely on us for efficient and effective service. It is always our goal to meet their expectations, and it is disappointing to us when we fail to do so."
About 60 percent of CNMI-bound mail is transported by air, while the rest - previously affected by the misrouting - will now receive additional oversight.
King-Hinds said she will monitor USPS follow-through to ensure CNMI residents "are treated equitably and reliably".
Tax lawyer Tina Avarzand said the delays raise broader legal concerns. She said most Internal Revenue Service notices arrive by first-class or certified mail with a 30-day response period from the date printed - not the date received. With Rota receiving mail only three days a week and Tinian twice a week, she said that the window becomes "impossible" to meet.
"Either mail delivery must be expedited, or IRS response deadlines must be extended," Avarzand said, adding that the problem would not exist if the taxpayer lived in Hawaii, Alaska, or on the mainland.
