ICP-ANACOM has released its most recent report on the network of postal establishment belonging to CTT - Correios de Portugal, S. A. (CTT), concessionaire company of the universal post services, and belonging to undertakings providing postal services conceded to CTT, as at the end of 2011.
The report shows that there were 2,561 postal establishments operating as at the end of 2011, 336 fewer than at the end of 2010, and comprising 774 permanent post offices, 9 mobile post offices (2 fewer than in the previous year) and 1 778 postal agencies. The data reveals a reduction of 11.6 percent in the total number of postal establishments, reversing the upward trend in place since 2008.
Despite this decline, the report indicates the continued presence of at least one post office in each of Portugal's municipalities, whereas in 293 municipalities (95.1 percent of the total) there were two or more postal establishments reported (a concept that includes postal agencies as well as post offices).
According to CTT, at the end of 2011, all post offices provided the full range of concession services whereas 695 postal agencies did not offer parcel services (217 fewer than in 2010).
Compared to the other Member States of the European Union (EU), and based on data made available by the Universal Postal Service (UPU) with reference to 2010, Portugal's postal network indicators compare favourably with the EU average, in terms of coverage and in terms of postal density.
With respect to the universal postal service, over the course of 2011, ANACOM received notifications from CTT regarding 171 post offices, referring to: the closure of 41 post offices; the closure of 65 post offices as replaced by postal agencies; the opening of 5 post offices; reduction in working hours of 57 post offices; and an increase in working hours of 3 post offices.
