Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations
1988 Revised Edition
C
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POSTAL (INSURED ARTICLES)
REGULATIONS
Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations CAP. 95B Arrangement of Sections
1988 Revised Edition
to
Page 3
C
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POSTAL (INSURED ARTICLES) REGULATIONS
Arrangement of Sections
Section
Short title. ........................................................................................................................5
Insurance. ........................................................................................................................5
Conditions Specially Applicable to Insured Letters. .......................................................6
Prohibited Articles...........................................................................................................7
Dimensions and Restrictions. ..........................................................................................7
Conditions Specially Applicable to Insured Boxes. ........................................................8
Redirection. .....................................................................................................................9
Advices of Delivery and Inquiries...................................................................................9
Compensation..................................................................................................................9
Insurance of Parcels. .......................................................................................................9
APPENDIX 11
INSURED LETTERS, BOXES AND PARCELS ...............................................11
Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations CAP. 95B Section 1
1988 Revised Edition
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Page 5
C
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POSTAL (INSURED ARTICLES) REGULATIONS
G.143/36, G.143/50, G. 173/50
Commencement [5th August, 1933]
Short title.
1. These Regulations may be cited as The Postal (Insured Articles)
Regulations and shall be read together with the Postal Regulations
(hereinafter referred to as the principal regulations).
Insurance.
2.
(1) The insurance system is restricted to letters, boxes, and parcels.
(2) Letters and boxes tendered for insurance shall be accepted at the
Post Offices at Nuku'alofa and Neiafu (and at such other Post
Offices as Privy Council may from time to time direct).
3. The regulations under which letters and boxes shall be accepted for
insurance by the post office shall be subject to such alterations and
amendments as may be adopted from time to time by the Agreement of
the Universal Postal Union.
4. The fees payable for insurance including registration shall be as shown in
the Appendix hereto. The maximum amount for which an article may be
insured is $800.
Provided always that articles may not be insured for an amount higher
than the maximum fixed by the regulations of the country of destination.
Section 5 CAP. 95B Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations
1988 Revised Edition Page 6
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5. The following general conditions must be observed by the senders of
insured articles—
(a) articles intended for insurance must be presented at the post office
counter, and on no account are to be posted in the letter boxes;
(b) no labels may be affixed except those of the postal service;
(c) seals must be placed over each flap or seam of the cover of a
packet, and if the packet is tied round with string or tape a seal must
be placed on the ends where they are tied;
(d) all the seals on an insured article must be of the same kind of wax
(or lead in the case of parcels) and must bear distinct impressions of
the same private device. Coins must not be used for sealing and the
device must not consist merely of straight, crossed, or curved lines
which could readily be imitated;
(e) as few stamps as possible should be used to prepay the postage and
insurance fee. They must not be folded over the edge of the cover,
and, when more stamps than one are used, they must be affixed
with spaces between them;
(f) insured articles must not be addressed to initials or in pencil;
(g) a certificate of posting must be always obtained by the sender;
(h) the amount for which an article is insured must be written by the
sender both in words and in figures, at the top of the address side of
the cover, thus: “Insured for fifteen pa'anga $15”. No alteration or
erasure of the inscription is allowed. If a mistake is made, the entry
must be completely obliterated and an entirely new one made by the
sender;
(i) no article can be insured for more than its actual value. Over
insurance is an obstacle to compensation;
(j) the fee must be prepaid in addition to the full postage by means of
postage stamps, which the sender must affix to the cover.
Conditions Specially Applicable to Insured Letters.
6. Letters to which the insurance system is applicable are those which
contain bank notes, currency notes, bonds, coupons, securities, and other
documents of the kind. Documents of value such as deeds, plans,
contracts, autographs, rare manuscripts, etc., may also be sent by insured
post, provided that where documents have value by reason of the cost of
their preparation, the insured value may not exceed the cost of replacing
them in case of loss.
7. Postcards, packets of printed or commercial papers, samples packets, or
letters which contain articles other than documents, cannot be insured.
Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations CAP. 95B Section 8
1988 Revised Edition
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Page 7
8.
(1) Every letter tendered for insurance must be enclosed in a strong cover
made up in one piece, which must be securely fastened by means of
identical seals in fine wax, with spaces between, reproducing a private
mark, in such a way that it cannot be opened without either breaking the
seals or leaving obvious traces of violation.
(2) Envelopes with black or coloured borders or with transparent panels must
not be used.
(3) Spaces must be left between the stamps used for prepayment, and also
between the postal labels, so that they cannot serve to hide injuries to the
envelope. They must not be folded over the two sides of the envelope so
as to cover the edge.
(4) The seals on an ordinary envelope should be placed as shown below—
(5) In the case of long envelopes with a seam down the centre, the seam
should be secured with seals placed not more than three inches apart.
(6) Letters which, although addressed to a country or place to which the
insurance system does not extend, have been irregularly insured, will be
returned to the senders.
Prohibited Articles.
9. The following prohibitions additional to those detailed in regulations 55
and 56 of the Principal Regulations shall apply to insured letters—
(a) articles liable to Customs duty, except when addressed to countries
which admit dutiable articles forwarded in letters;
(b) coin;
(c) gold or silver, manufactured or not, precious stones, jewellery and
other valuables.
Dimensions and Restrictions.
10. Regulations 2 to 4 inclusive of the principal regulations are also
applicable to insured letters.
Section 11 CAP. 95B Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations
1988 Revised Edition Page 8
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Conditions Specially Applicable to Insured Boxes.
11. Articles of gold and silver, precious stones, jewellery, and articles of a
like nature may be sent in the letter mails as insured boxes.
12. An insured box may not exceed 2 1b in weight and may not measure more
than 12 inches in length, 4 inches in breadth, and 4 inches in height. The
box employed for packing must be strongly made of metal or wood, and
when a wooden box is used the wood must be at least one-third of an inch
thick.
13. An insured box must be tied crosswise with a single strong string (not two
or more pieces joined) the two ends of the string being held together under
a seal of fine wax bearing a private mark. The box must also be sealed on
the four sides with seals identical with that used for the ends of the string.
The box must not be wrapped in paper, but the surfaces of the top and
bottom must be covered with white paper for the inscription of the
addressee's name and address and the insured value of the contents and for
the impression of the official stamps.
14. An insured box being subject to the Customs Regulations and laws of the
country of destination, it must be accompanied by the requisite number of
Customs declaration forms prepared by the sender.
15. The Customs declaration forms used for parcels may be adopted so as to
apply to insured boxes, by altering the heading to “Insured Boxes” or
“Boites avec valeur declares”. They must specify precisely the style of
packing and include a description of the box, its gross weight, and the
total value of the contents.
16. The net weight and value of each of the different kinds of articles
contained in an insured box must be shown separately.
17. The following prohibitions, additional to those detailed in regulations 55
and 56 of the principal regulations shall apply to insured boxes—
(a) letters or notes having the character of actual and personal
correspondence. It is, however, permissible to enclose in the box an
open invoice confined to the particulars which constitute an
invoice, and also a simple copy of the address of the box, and of the
sender;
(b) current coin;
(c) bank notes, or securities payable to bearer;
(d) bonds and articles included in the category of commercial papers;
(e) opium, morphine, cocaine, and other narcotics. (This prohibition
does not, however, apply to such articles sent for medical purposes
to countries which admit them under this condition.)
Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations CAP. 95B Section 18
1988 Revised Edition
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Page 9
Redirection.
18. Redirection to countries with which the Post Office does not exchange
insured articles of the class concerned, cannot be effected.
Advices of Delivery and Inquiries.
19. The sender of an insured article may have sent to him an advice of the
delivery of the packet to the addressee, or may subsequent to the posting
of the article apply for information as to its disposal, on payment of a fee
of 3s.
Compensation.
20. Compensation for the loss or damage of an insured article or its contents
in the post shall not exceed the amount of the actual loss or damage, and
shall not be paid on prohibited articles, or articles which have been taken
delivery of without remark, or for damage or loss caused by the fault or
negligence of the sender, or arising from the nature of the article, or from
tempest, shipwreck, earthquake, war, the acts of the King's enemies, or
other causes beyond control. Compensation shall not be paid for the loss
or damage of any article in respect of which the relative official
documents have been destroyed through a cause beyond control.
21. No claim for compensation shall be admitted if made more than a year
after the article was posted.
22. The sender of an article may waive his claim to compensation in favour of
the addressee.
23. No legal liability to give compensation in respect of any article for which
an insurance fee has been paid attaches to the Controller either personally
or in his official capacity. The final decision upon all questions of
compensation rests with the Postal Administration of the country in which
the loss or damage has taken place.
24. Any insurance effected contrary to the foregoing regulations is invalid.
Insurance of Parcels.
25. Parcels tendered for insurance shall be accepted at the post offices of
Nuku'alofa and Neiafu (and at such other post offices as Privy Council
may from time to time direct), for transmission to, and delivery at, any
post office within the Kingdom and to Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
Australia, New Zealand and such other countries as the Controller may
from time to time notify in the Gazette.
Section 26 CAP. 95B Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations
1988 Revised Edition Page 10
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26. Every insured parcel must be packed carefully and substantially with due
regard to the nature of the contents and the length of the journey and must
be sealed with wax, lead, or steel, bearing a private mark in such a way
that it cannot be opened without breaking the seal or leaving obvious
traces of violation. For insurance seals must be placed over each joint or
loose flap of the coverings of a parcel, and, if string be used in packing, a
seal must be placed at the ends of the string where they are tied.
27. Parcels containing coin or bullion, watches, precious stones, jewellery or
any article of gold or silver must be insured for at least part of their value.
They must be enclosed in a strong box or case, which must be sewn up, or
otherwise fastened in a wrapper of linen, canvas, strong paper, or other
substantial material. In such cases the seals must be placed along the
edges of each join or loose flap at distances not more than three inches
apart. The address of every such parcel must be written on its actual
covering. If forwarded uninsured, such parcels will be charged with a
compulsory registration fee of 5s. on delivery.
28. Parcels containing any of the following articles may not be insured against
damage, but they may be insured against loss only, on payment of fees on
the same scale as those for insurance of other articles against loss or
damage, viz.: liquids and substances which easily liquefy, perishable
articles, such as eggs, butter, flower, fruit, confectionery, etc., and fragile
articles, such as china, glassware, millinery, gramophone records, etc.
29. Every parcel, posted within the Kingdom containing jewellery exceeding
$200 in value, must be packed in a box measuring not less than three feet
six inches in length and girth combined.
30. The general regulations regarding insurance (numbers 2 to 5 inclusive)
herein are applicable also to parcels.
Postal (Insured Articles) Regulations CAP. 95B APPENDIX
1988 Revised Edition
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Page 11
APPENDIX
INSURED LETTERS, BOXES AND PARCELS
Fees Payable for Insurance, including Registration
Fee Limit of
Compensation
Fee Limit of
Compensation
Fee Limit of
Compensation
$
$
$
7s. 30 47s. 390 87s. 750
9s. 60 49s. 420 89s. 780
13s. 90 53s. 450 93s. 810
17s. 120 57s. 480 97s. 840
19s. 150 59s. 510 99s. 870
23s. 180 63s. 560 $1.03 900
27s. 210 67s. 570 $1.07 930
29s. 240 69s. 600 $1.09 960
33s. 270 73s. 650 $1.13 990
37s. 300 77s. 660 $1.17 1000
39s. 330 79s. 690
43s. 360 83s. 720
(Substituted, G. 143/50.)
The postage on insured boxes is at the rate of 5s. per two ounces with a minimum
postage of 21s. (Added, G. 173/50.).
