Government considers proposals to modernize infrastructure of postal service

The following decisions were adopted on issues considered at a November 16, 2006 meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation:

The Government took note of a report of the Minister of Communications and Information Technology on the proposals to modernize the infrastructure of the postal service of the Russian Federation for the period of 2012.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in conjunction with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Ministry of Finance and other interested federal executive bodies is to work out a draft plan of measures to update the infrastructure of the postal service of the Russian Federation during the period till 2012 with the indication of both the sources and amounts of their funding, giving special attention to:

· reconstruction, repair and enlargement of the network of post offices;

· setting up a network of automated sorting centers for the handling of mailing items;

· development of the system of electronic money transfers and clearing settlements on the basis of the post offices network, and

· renewal of the vehicle fleet.

The draft measures plan must be submitted to the Government before June 1, 2007.

The Government also directed the Communications and Information Technology and Finance Ministries in conjunction with the Bank of Russia to consider the possibility of the use by Russian lending organizations of the network of post offices to carry out electronic money transfers and clearing settlements.

Relevant proposals must be submitted to the Government before March 15, 2007, the Government said.