Please wait!
29.12.2022
In order to ensure the continuity of the provision of the universal postal service (UPS) throughout Latvia and to be able to provide the exchange of UPS items with foreign countries, taking into account the high overall inflation both at the Latvian and global level, but especially the substantial increase in energy resource tariffs, which significantly increases transportation costs, new UPS tariffs approved by the Public Utilities Commission will take effect from the 1st of January 2023. When sending items, it is more convenient and cheaper to use Latvijas Pasts electronic self-service website Manspasts.lv, as the discount on the items registered there will increase from next year.
The high overall inflation figures, both in Latvia and internationally, and especially a sharp rise in energy resource tariffs, have substantially added to the cost of both cross-border and local transportation. In 2022, the national economy of Latvia has been challenged by a significant increase in inflation: according to the forecasts of the Bank of Latvia, the annual average inflation may reach 17.3%.
Postal services are resource-intensive, and a significant portion of their tariffs is made up of labour and transport costs: changes in these indicators are due to the rise in fuel prices in 2022 by 24.6% and the approved increase in the minimum wage from the 1st of January 2023 by 24%. Therefore, the Public Utilities Commission has approved new UPS tariffs, which will take effect on the 1st of January 2023.
Although the most essential resource price increases are 24%–25%, Latvijas Pasts has implemented efficiency improvement and optimisation measures to reduce costs, which have resulted in an average UPS tariff increase at 18%. These measures include the creation of new automated sorting solutions, regular monitoring of requests for postal services, changes in the operating model in unprofitable post offices and provision of services in the most efficient way according to the actual demand, optimisation and revision of delivery routes, expansion of the parcel locker network and growing digitisation of services, for example by promoting the registration of postal items via the self-service website Manspasts.lv, which reduces the costs for both the sender and Latvijas Pasts.
In order for Latvijas Pasts customers to feel the price changes of sending postal items as little as possible, Latvijas Pasts encourages customers to make more use of the self-service website Manspasts.lv: from the 1st of January 2023, the discount on the items registered through the website will increase to EUR 0.59 instead of the previous EUR 0.49. In addition, by using the options offered by Manspasts.lv for sending items customer can save their time resources when handing over the item at the post office, as no additional formalities are required.
The new UPS tariffs can be found on the website of Latvijas Pasts here, but from the 1st of January 2023, it will be convenient to calculate the cost of sending a specific item using the up-to-date postage rate calculator.
If you have any uncertainties regarding the receipt of postal services and current tariffs, you can also contact Latvijas Pasts Customer Centre whose specialists will help you to promptly resolve the relevant issue and provide the necessary advice: by calling +371 27008001 or +371 67008001, by writing to info@pasts.lv or via the social media profiles of Latvijas Pasts.
The universal postal service is the minimum aggregate of postal services of a specific quality available for a unified tariff to all users in Latvia regardless of their geographical location. The UPS provider is obliged to ensure the delivery of domestic and cross-border letter-post items and postal parcels as well as the delivery of subscription-based press. Service tariffs in the postal sector are approved by PUC.
About SJSC Latvijas Pasts
Latvijas Pasts ensures the widest availability of postal services throughout Latvia by maintaining more than 600 post offices. The primary function of the company is provision of the universal postal service; Latvijas Pasts also provides commercial transport, express mail, parcel locker, payment, press subscription, retail and philatelic services. Latvijas Pasts is a wholly State-owned company with around 3,000 employees. The quality measurements of Latvijas Pasts domestic mail deliveries are regularly conducted by Kantar TNS, one of the leading market, social and media research agencies in Latvia. In turn, the quality measurements of the cross-border deliveries are provided within the framework of the International Post Corporation through the intermediary of the research companies Kantar TNS, Ipsos and Quotas.
Additional information:
Gundega Vārpa | Head of External Communications
E-mail: pr@pasts.lv; gundega.varpa@pasts.lv
Latvijas Pasts social media profiles: