Postmaster General George Outerbridge has admitted to teething problems in the streamlining of mail handling procedures in the face of strong criticism this week about Bermuda's "Third World" Post Office. Mr. Outerbridge was answering complaints from a source in the international business community that it was taking an inordinate amount of time to receive important documents.

"The Bermuda Post Office is an organisation in the midst of transition and many of its mail handling procedures and processes have been streamlined and in some cases, changed altogether," George Outerbridge said on Tuesday in a release. "Inevitably there will be some delays under certain circumstances as problems are encountered and worked through.

"There have been some delays in the processing of mail and additional staff and overtime were instituted to remedy that problem. While we are working to reduce delays and to improve efficiency, there will be teething problems from time to time," Mr. Outerbridge said.

And Mr. Outerbridge also moved to dispel rumours on Wednesday that mail from Hamilton and Flatt's Post Offices was getting forwarded to St. George's.

However, a Hamilton businessman called the situation "ridiculous" and a "sick joke".

"You can't go and call yourself the Risk Capital centre of the world and have a Third World Post Office," he said on Tuesday. "I received a letter from a friend of mine in Wales that was sent 14 days ago. It was mailed on the fourteenth of March. Something has to happen."

He said his business had to resort to using couriers for the most trivial of items.

"A female colleague of mine was sent a calendar from the US and it arrived here a year late," he said. "Parcels sent from the same place on the same day arrive weeks apart.

"It is just ridiculous. Everyone is talking about it. It has got to be such a sick joke that people are just resigned to it."

He said letters delivered within Hamilton should be expected to be delivered in 24 hours.

"A letter to the rest of the Island should take two to three days to get there," he said. "I thought to the UK a week would be reasonable."

The businessman said something serious needed to happen and Finance Minister Paula Cox was responsible for keeping international business happy.

Repercussions included Government remittances like payroll tax and land tax, mailed on time may be charged a late fee, he said.