Latvia, Markets and Companies, Post Office

According to the new tariff project, shipping of an ordinary A class postal item, weighing up to 20 grams will cost EUR 1 instead of EUR 0.57 which is a 75.4% rise.

Shipment of an ordinary postal item weighing up to 500 grams will cost EUR 1.3 instead of the current EUR 1.1, which i san 18.2% growth, while cost of shipping a postal item weighing up to one kilogram will reduce from EUR 1.71 to EUR 1.6, down 6.4%.

Mailing letters to Europe will increase from EUR 0.78 to EUR 1.6, while shipping parcels to Europe will become less expensive.

The new tariffs are expected to come into force in the second half of 2019.

Latvijas Pasts spokeswoman Gundega Varpa said that the new tariffs are aimed to ease and improve postal services. The new tariff system is based on three factors – weight, the fact whether the postal item is registered or insured, and geographical zone where the item should be shipped.

“The universal postal tariffs and their structure have not been changed for more than ten years and are out-dated and complicated. We have been working on optimization, increase of productivity and digitalization, and now the time has come to change tariff structure in order to ensure better quality services,” said Latvijas Pasts CEO Marcis Vilcans.

SPRK reported that the regulator has received the tariff project and has started its assessment.

Latvijas Pasts is fully owned by the Latvian state and its basic function is providing the universal postal service. The company is also involved in providing philately, transportation, express mail, financial, press and IT services, as well as retail trade. Latvijas Pasts employs more than 4,000 people.