The National Communications Authority (Anacom) announced this Sunday that the draft agreement to define the prices of the universal postal service provided by CTT —Correos de Portugal— will collect contributions until July 15.
“Anacom collects contributions on the principle of concertation of the universal postal service price agreement project until July 15”, reported this authority, indicating that participation in the public consultation is carried out “in writing and in Portuguese, to the address Email address Convenciónprecos@anacom. point”.
at stake is the Modification of the legal framework for the provision of postal servicesprovided for in a decree law published on February 7 of this year and that entered into force the following day, determining that the criteria to be followed in the formation of the prices of the postal services that make up the universal service will be established, “for a period of three years, through an agreement to be entered into between Anacom, the General Directorate of Consumers (DGC) and CTT (as a universal service provider)”.
Anacom is responsible for coordinating the work of the agreement, including the articulation of the parties in the context of the negotiation.
“After the negotiation process developed by the parties (Anacom, DGC and CTT), a preliminary agreement was reached on a draft text for the conclusion of the agreement,” the regulator reported.
In this context, Anacom considered it “useful” to collect contributions from end-users, including consumers, other postal service providers and other organizations, on the principle agreement on the price agreement for the universal postal service.
“The agreement continues to cover the same services that were the subject of previous Anacom decisions on universal service pricing criteria,” the regulator said, in a note posted on its website, noting that the agreement Project in public consultation maintains the inclusion of mail servicesparcels and newspapers and magazines that are part of the universal service offer, including the certified mail service used in judicial or administrative procedures.
Anacom added that, “in the same way, the agreement does not apply to special prices and associated conditions of postal services that are part of the universal service offer”, applied by CTT, specifically for services to companies, senders of bulk shipments or intermediaries in charge of grouping shipments from various users, who comply with the specific regime provided for in the legal regime applicable to the provision of postal services.
“The pricing of postal services covered by the agreement continues to comply with the following tariff principles: accessibility to all users; cost orientation, with prices that encourage the efficient provision of universal service; and transparency and non-discrimination”, reported the regulator, adding that, in line with what happened in the past, these prices are subject to a maximum annual variation and a maximum variation for the total duration of the contract.
According to Anacom, the draft agreement maintains the principle of tariff uniformitywith the application of a single price throughout the territory, in correspondence, nationwide, weighing less than 50 grams, as well as the availability, free of charge, in the national and international service, of articles for blind and visually impaired people, with except for air surcharges, if any.
At the end of February, the Government affirmed that the new universal postal service concession contract for CTT, which entered into force that month and will have a duration of seven years, intends to “guarantee the continuity” of the previous provision, but with “adjustments ” that ensure an improvement in the satisfaction of needs and territorial cohesion.
Source: Observadora
