The Postal Act will be reformed so that the delivery and collection obligations for universal service products and the requirements for the speed of delivery of letters will be made more flexible. The aim of the amendments is to respond to the changes in the operating environment. The reform will apply to universal service products, i.e. letters or parcels below 2 kg in weight carrying a postage stamp.
In delivery and collection of universal service products, the Act allows exemptions to the weekly five-day deliveries in urban areas so that deliveries will take place at least three days a week. The amendment does not apply to other products delivered in urban areas such as newspapers or corporate correspondence.
Under the legislative reform, delivery of universal service letters will continue to take place five days a week in those areas where there is no newspaper delivery network, i.e. no early morning delivery of newspapers. Delivery in sparsely-populated areas will be arranged via a procurement procedure organised by the universal service provider. This will facilitate the five-day delivery of newspapers in its current form in sparsely-populated areas.
Data from postcode and address listing systems will be made available for easier utilisation by other postal service companies. According to the reform, the pricing of universal service products must be reasonable, transparent and non-discriminatory. Sending correspondence in braille to the visually impaired will be free of charge.
The right to make exemptions to the requirements for delivery frequency in areas with difficult access will be made more flexible. In blocks of flats, a decision to take mailbox delivery into use can in future be made by the housing company.
Amendments to the Decree on the location of postal service facilities
The Decree on the location of postal service facilities will be amended so that the strict kilometre or percentage requirements will be removed. The service facilities will continue to be located, according to the current requirements, in connection with other widely used service facilities in the area or along commonly used routes.
The Government submitted the bill on the Postal Act for approval and issued the Decree on 7 September. The amendments to the Postal Act and Decree are due to enter into force on 15 September 2017.
The amendments to the Postal Act and Decree will contribute to implementing the Government Programme objectives of promoting digitalisation and deregulation.
Inquiries:
Olli-Pekka Rantala, Director-General, tel. +358 50 344 3400, [email protected]
Sabina Lindström, Director of Unit, tel. +358 40 527 6103, [email protected]
