Mail will get dearer

Postal services will get dearer by an average of 17 percent in the wake of energy price hikes, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The methodology used in calculating the fees for the postal services provides for an update in case costs have increased by at least 5 percent over one year. In 2008, raw materials, fuels and energy have rose by 16 percent on the previous year. With the current charges, we don't even cover the service costs”, said Valentin Vizant, manager of the state-run enterprise Moldova Mail. According to him, gas and power price hikes alone were responsible for losses of 7 million lei last year. Vizant said the population accounts for only 17 percent of the total mail deliveries, so rise in price will not affect individuals too much, as the fee for sending an ordinary letter will be 1.2 to 1.3 lei as against the current fee of one leu. The rise will affect more the commercial entities whose affairs involve heavy mailing activity, such as Moldotelecom and Union Fenosa. The latter, being a public utility, each month sends 700,000 electrical bills by mail, says Vizant. The new fees take effect one month from publishing in Moldova's Official Gazette. The state-run enterprise Moldova Mail, with a staff of over 5,000 and a network of 1,168 offices, last time raised its fees in 2007.