ANACOM has released the latest report on the network of postal establishments belonging to CTT - Correios de Portugal, S. A. (CTT), the universal postal service concessionaire, and other entities providing CTT concession services as at the end of the first half of 2013.
This report highlights that, as at the end of 1st half of 2013, there were 2518 postal establishments in operation, 44 fewer than at the end of 2012. Of this total, 619 corresponded to permanent post offices, 121 fewer than at the end of 2012, 6 to mobile post offices and 1 893 to postal agencies1, which represents an increase of 79 agencies compared to the end of 2012. In 5 of the permanent post offices, 2 fewer than at the end of 2012, the customer service operations are contracted out in accordance with Base XXII, paragraph 1 of the Universal Postal Service Concession.
In the period being reported, there was at least one post office located in every municipality, with the exception of Gavião and Pedrógão with a postal agencies. Considering the entire network of postal establishments (post offices and postal agencies) there were two or more postal establishments located in 293 of Portugal's municipalities, as was the case at the end of 2012 (95.1 percent of all municipalities).
According to CTT, at the end of 1st half 2013, all post offices provided the full range of all concession services, whereas 27.4 percent of postal agencies, i.e. 517 in total , do not provide the postal parcels service while providing the remaining concession services.
That is, 79,4 percent of all postal establishments were providing the full range of concession services.
Based on available data on the networks of permanent postal establishments belonging to universal service providers in EU Member States, with reference to 2011, it can be concluded that the situation in Portugal compares favourably with the EU average (excluding Portugal), both in terms of postal coverage (average area, in km2, per permanent postal establishment) and in terms of density index (average number of inhabitants per permanent postal establishment).
In Portugal, 29 percent of the network of permanent postal establishments is comprised of post offices managed by CTT. The remaining 71 percent are managed by third parties; according to 2011 data from the Universal Postal Union (UPU), this is lower than reported in Sweden (84 percent), Finland (87 percent), Denmark (88 percent), Cyprus (95 percent), Ireland (95 percent), United Kingdom (97 percent), Netherlands (100 percent) and Germany (100 percent).
Pursuant to the universal postal service concession, ANACOM received 107 notifications from CTT, as follows: 59 regarding the closure of post offices and their replacement by post agencies; 44 referring to the closure of post offices; 4 on reducing the opening hours of post offices.
1 Postal agencies are establishments operated by third parties under contract; all such establishments provided the postal services included in the universal service.
Consult:
- Network of postal establishments belonging to CTT - Correios de Portugal, S.A. as at the end of the 1st half of 2013 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1185808
