• Directorate General of Pakistan Post points out several flaws.
• Says booking staff filled incorrect information in the fields.
• Small businessmen have demanded govt to take notice of it.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Post has stopped parcel bookings for the United States for a month, inflicting massive loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the country, it emerged on Monday.

Orders of the ones who sent goods through e-commerce were also cancelled due to the closure of the booking by the Pakistan Post.

The development has not only suspended trade of Pakistani products in the US but also dented the national exchequer.

"The reason for the closure of bookings is non-payment of compensation to American shipping companies," sources in the Pakistan Post said.

The utility said the booking had been stopped because of the lack of proper parcel packing.

In an inquiry report, the Directorate General of Pakistan Post has pointed out several flaws as a reason for returning mail from the US including deficiencies and missing Electronic Advanced Data (EAD) and wrong classification of letter mail.

It said small-sized registered letters were being sent to the US without generating ITMATT messages or faulty/incomplete ITMATT messages causing errors and thus facing rejection of mail by the USPS.

The directorate said the booking staff also filled incorrect information in the mandatory fields.

Small businessmen and e-commerce sellers have demanded the government take notice of it and ensure the resumption of delivery of goods to America through the Pakistan Post.

Meanwhile, the booking of parcels and mail to the United Kingdom and other countries continues.