[Dx-qsl] Old IRCs - still valid

Mon Jul 3 08:09:41 EDT 2006

On first working day of HK Post after 2006年7月1日, I went to my
local PO to exchange the older, smaller IRC (the one after
the 1975 version, but before the new, has use-by date version -
originally surface & later air).
I took with me copies of everything in UPU Letter Manual
where there is mention of IRCs, just in case.
And as expected from UPU Letter Manual, these IRCs
are still honored. As well as tomorrow, next week, next
month, etc, etc, etc.
Some relevant bits of _current_ UPU Letter Manual:
Art 22, section 3: "Reply coupons shall be exchangeable in
any member country for postage stamps and, if not precluded
by the internal legislation of the country of exchange, for postal
stationery or postal prepayment marks or impressions
representing the minimum postage prepayable on an
unregistered priority letter-post item or an unregistered
airmail letter sent abroad."
Art 22, section 3 commentary: "The exchange of reply coupons
is compulsory for all countries even though their sale is
optional."
Art RE 411 commentary, repeating Art RE 1501 of Seoul
Detailed Regulations, where new IRC system was not
adopted & provisions were made for continuation of old
IRCs (Art RE 1501 section 3): "There shall be no limit to the
period of exchange for reply coupons. Post offices shall
satisfy themselves as to the genuineness of the documents
when they exchange them and check particularly the
presence of the watermark. Reply coupons on which the
printed text does not agree with the official text shall be
refused as invalid. Exchanged reply coupons shall be
marked with an impression of the date-stamp of the office
exchanging them."
Art RE 411 itself describes the new IRC "back office"
procedures (too much to type, but no mention of anything
about IRCs not being redeemable).
Prot Art RE XV concerns itself with IRCs issued before
2001年1月1日 & exchanged before 2004年12月31日. Too much to type
here, but this is where the old settlement system ends &
unless there is agreement between two administrations
specifically for old IRCs, there will be no settlement between
administrations for these IRCs, nor the general liquidation
account of IB of UPU (sections 1 & 2). Remember, however,
that the IRCs themselves do not expire (RE 411/1501 above)
& "shall be exchangeable" (Art 22 section 3 above).
Prot Art RE XVI concerns itself with adjustment of debts from
settlement of accounts through the final liquidation account
for IRCs distributed before 2002年1月1日. In section 1, IB of
UPU can settle a debt to creditor administration by deducting
from account of debtor administration.
And finally, Resolution C 45/1999 instructs UPU CoA &
POC to implement the new IRC accounting system &
phase out the old one.
BTW, I could find no Prot Art RL XX in the current UPU Letter
Manual (mentioned by PA7FM earlier). There is only Prot Art
RE XV, nor anything else starting with the words "International
reply coupons of the earlier type issued before...".
As QSPed by M5AAV, UPU has confirmed what is rather
obvious from the UPU Letter Manual - THESE OLD IRCs
REMAIN VALID. NOWHERE HAS IT BEEN STATED THAT
THESE HAVE BEEN PHASED OUT OR ARE NO LONGER
VALID - only the old accounting system has.
QED.
The origin of several other fallacies about IRCs can be seen
in the UPU Letter Manual, too. It really amazes me how
folks accept this stuff... but maybe that is what things are
like in places where things don't work (oh, sorry, that's
what folks seem to think about VR ;^).
73, VR2BrettGraham