The market for postal services in Bulgaria in 2007 was expected to reach 200 million leva, Plamen Vachkov, chairperson of the State agency for Information Technology and Communication (SAITC), said at a meeting with Edouard Dayan, director general of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) international bureau.

Over 2006, income from postal services was 166 million leva, with 161 million packages sent, Dnevnik daily said.

Largest part of the market, 67 per cent, was taken by non-standard services, mostly courier services. SAITC said it expected the decline in use of standard postal services to end when alternative suppliers would enter the market. The traditional provider of standard postal services, Bulgarian Postal Services, has a marketshare of only 30 per cent, while in 2004, it held half the market, Dnevnik said.

Dayan proposed to private operators, who took part in the meeting, to organise themselves in a Balkan pool and become collective member of the UPU.
UPU would finance activities to improve the quality of services and Bulgarian members could apply for support, Dayan said.

Dayan added that internationally, postal service were no longer just delivering letters, but had become intermediaries in e-commerce and money transfer.

1 USD = 1.32953 BGN

Source: Sofia Echo

Tags: Bulgaria, Bulgaria Post, Europe, Mail Services