July 1, 2008 — While inter- and intra-Virgin Islands mail continues to take up to a week or more, the audit of the process may extend into the Christmas rush.
A system audit is underway for the territory, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Postal Service informed Delegate Donna M. Christensen this week.
"The inspector general has agreed that our complaints warrant a full investigation, and they have proceeded to look into our situation and to recommend suggestions for the rectification of the problems," the delegate said, according to a news release.
The investigation comes after years of effort, according to Lenny James, Christensen's legislative assistant.
"The delegate has been trying for more than five years to have the problems corrected and addressed," he said.
Christensen associates the start of the problems with the Postal Service's decision to move V.I. mail processing to Puerto Rico — including mail going from one point to another on the same island.
"They [the OIG] assured me that the efficiency and practicality of that arrangement will also be under review," Christensen said in the release.
She has called for mail processing to return to the territory.
"We are looking at the processes and will offer recommendations," said Agapi Doulaveris, an OIG spokesperson.
Even with all the extra handling generated by the trip to San Juan, the volume of inter- and intra-island mail does not meet the postal service's one-million-piece threshold for putting the processing equipment within the V.I.
OIG audits can take up to six months to complete, according to Doulaveris. While underway, the audit is not open to public review and status reports will not be available.
Auditors from the OIG's office will make field trips as appropriate to review the issues raised. The team will then produce a report based on its findings, Douleveris said.
"It is my hope that this investigation will result in the improved service that we all want and deserve," Christensen said.
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