Aide sees Russian postal service turnover to increase to USD 3 billion by 2010

Postal services turnover in Russia may increase to U.S. $3 billion by 2010 from the expected $1.2 billion this year, provided the postal service development program is implemented, Anton Shchegolikhin from the IT and Communications Ministry said Thursday.

Shchegolikhin, the deputy director of the postal department of the IT and Communications Ministry, was speaking at a Federation Council meeting devoted to information policy.

The Federation Council is the upper house of parliament.

The development program envisages three stages.

During the first stage, which is to start in the fourth quarter of 2003 and to last up to 2005, the legislative basis for the economic functioning of the postal service operators should be revised.

During the second stage, from 2005 to 2008, a new version of the law “On postal service” should be passed, and an investment program to improve the postal services implemented.

Shchegolikhin said that the total amount of investment is seen at $360 million during this stage.

During the third stage, from 2008 to 2010, the state-owned unitary enterprise Russian Post (Pochta Rossii) is expected to be reorganized into a joint-stock company

Last September Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a ruling to set up the state-owned unitary enterprise Russian Post.

Last month First Deputy IT and Communications Minister Alexander Kiselyov said that the ministry plans to complete the restructuring of Russia’s postal service system by establishing a single national postal operating company by the end of this year.

Shchegolikhin also said that in order to attract investments postal tariffs should be economically reasonable, cover the costs of postal services and provide for profit.

The postal service development program is expected to be submitted to the government in June.

The postal reform is aimed at increasing the efficiency, speed and quality of the postal service in Russia. End