The Post throughout history<br>The Post after the independence

8 September 2021

Today we are marking the 30^th anniversary of the Referendum in which the Macedonian people voted for the independence of our country.

Following the independence, it was necessary to transform the Post in Macedonia into a national PTT system and join the world postal network as an independent national organization for performing a postal activity.

Postage stamp issued on the occasion of the independence, 8 September 1991

Motif: Zurla players; Face value: 2.5 den.

On 1 June 1992 Macedonia joined the international postal traffic with the establishment of the 91003 Skopje office of exchange in the Main Postal Traffic Center in which the whole exchange of international incoming and outgoing items was done via two sections.

During 1992 a number of steps were taken to make the PTT Makedonija enterprise independent in all aspects. One of these steps was the issuing of postage stamps by the enterprise. On 25 May 1992, the Postage Stamp Council was set up and it issued the first postage stamp to mark the first anniversary of the Independence Referendum.

Postage stamp with St. John Bigorski Monastery iconostasis as a motif designed by Mite Damevski, Bachelor of Architecture, issued in 1992 to mark the first anniversary of the independence

On 12 July 1993 Macedonia became a member of the Universal Postal Union. The PTT traffic development plan 1991-1995 included the following:

Establishment of new international postal routes to the neighbouring countries
Organization and equipment of the Main Postal Center in Skopje for international traffic. The first international routes that were established between 1991 and 1996 were the following:
Skopje-Ohrid-Struga- Qafe Thanё-Pogradec (Albania)
Skopje-Kriva Palanka- Kyustendil (Bulgaria)
Skopje-Gevgelija- Polykastro (Greece)
Skopje-Tabanovce-Vranje (Serbia)
Intensification of counter automation in the postal network units
Modern equipment for automation of technological processes in the postal centers
Purchase of modern vehicles for postal items transport, quality improvement of the existing postal services and introduction of new ones

In addition to the international land routes, an airmail office was set up at Petrovec airport. It performed conveyance of items to distant countries via the airports in Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

Postage stamp issued on the occasion of the 5^th anniversary of the independence, 1996

PE Makedonska pošta has been functioning as a separate enterprise since 1 January 1997 after the split of the joint PTT enterprise into Post and a telecommunications company.

Postage stamp issued on the occasion of the 10^th anniversary of the independence, 2001

Postage stamp issued on the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the independence, 2011

Postage stamp issued on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of the independence, 2016

Postage stamp issued on the occasion of the 30^th anniversary of the independence, 2021

Today, JSC Post of North Macedonia – Skopje has more than 2000 employees and over 330 postal network units in every inhabited place throughout the country. It performs an activity of a public operator in the domestic and international postal traffic, pursuant to the Law on postal services. It is the Post that reaches the home of any citizen, and its employees and services are always available.

In future, the Post will develop into a modern company which follows the technological changes in the world.

Written by Pero Blažeski, Bachelor of Ethnology and Anthropology

Marketing and Sales Department

JSC Post of North Macedonia

Sources:

https://www.posta.com.mk/

Makedonska pošta, Makedonski telekomunikacii by Risto Kostovski