The Ministry of Digital Development wants to allocate funds from infrastructure payments for markets to the repair of Russian Post offices, as well as to cover losses resulting from their work in towns with less than 5 thousand inhabitants.
The head of the department, Maksut Shadayev, said that it involves maintaining 18 thousand post offices. Under current conditions, it will be difficult to allocate funds from the budget for the repair of these apartments, the minister explained. According to Shadayev, the bill on infrastructure payment could affect about 28,000 post offices.
Previously, Russian Post developed a “Plan to improve the financial and economic situation of the company”, which also talks about introducing a payment for infrastructure from large e-commerce platforms at 0.5% of turnover. However, the company also proposes closing unprofitable branches and reducing the frequency of mail delivery.
As Shadayev clarified, it is planned that payment for infrastructure will be calculated according to a special formula determined by the ministry and the operator.
“Now we have worked out a formula and we will calculate according to the formula. We take 28 thousand post offices, <...> We look at your income, expenses and calculate losses. And then the question is: will we add to the losses the compensation of salaries and the reconstruction of post offices?” Shadayev said, quoted by TASS.
The head of the Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, Alexander Khinshtein, disagrees with the head of the Ministry of Digital Development. He stated that the funds from the infrastructure payment should be used exclusively to close the company’s financial hole.
At the end of last month, the Federation Council noted the “sad financial situation” of the Russian Post and called for action.
Author:
Natalia Gormaleva
Source: RB
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