Russian postal reform bill to enter State Duma this autumn
Russia’s deputy communications minister said on Monday that postal reform legislation will be prepared for introduction to the State Duma this autumn. Following on from last week’s promise by ministers to unveil a national modernisation strategy for Russian Post, Denis Sverlov said this week that a new law dubbed “On Postal Communication” was set to improve the postal network in Russia.
He said the quality of services at Russian Post was currently “unsatisfactory”, and suggested that reforms will only prove successful if 80% of Russians are satisfied with the work of the Post.
Russian deputy communications minister Denis Sverlov said a postal bill will be drawn up this autumn
“It may sound fantastic, but I do not see any reason why a letter to a city with a population of more than 100,000 people may not be delivered in more than a day.” said the minister, who is a former CEO of Russian telecoms multinational Yota.
He added: “We have seen in other countries that it is possible.”
Russian Post has been struggling with outdated infrastructure for years, and while it has been working to modernise its operations with its own resources, has been awaiting support from the government for a major transformation.
Monday saw Russian Post signing a major deal with Poste Italiane to make use of Italian know-how in drawing up plans to modernise its logistics and introduce new digital services.
