Romanian Post should be declared a company of national strategic interest in the context of the war in Ukraine, in order to continuously provide postal services both to citizens, but especially to state bodies performing duties in the field of national defense, according to a draft government decision initiated by the Ministry of Digitalization led by by the liberal Sebastien Burduja.

Continuity of postal services is vital in the context of border warfare

“In the current international context of the war between Russia and Ukraine, since our country shares a common border with Ukraine, it is necessary to constantly provide postal services to citizens, but especially to state bodies performing duties in the field of national defense, it is vital, being decisive in assessing whether the company can be declared a national strategic interest,” the explanatory note reads.

By approving the project of the DG, it is aimed at:

• strengthening the status of a subject of national significance of the state, which provides access to correspondence and communication in any village of Romania, a similar approach practiced by all EU member states, as a strategic state policy;
• the possibility of access to services or participation in projects of national interest in his field of activity
• creates conditions for the improvement of inter-institutional activities between the Post of Romania and state institutions as partners
• creates conditions for significant improvement and clarification of aspects related to planning, prioritization and allocation of necessary financial resources from the state budget to pay for services provided by the enterprise;

What will be the consequences of declaring Post as a company of national strategic interest?

The expected consequences of the declaration of the Post Office as a company of national strategic interest are that “prerequisites will be created for reviewing a new context regarding new opportunities for cooperation with other public institutions, as well as improving the way of contracting, planning and financing the service it offers, including including to ensure costs associated with ensuring the vital activity of distribution at the national and institutional levels of goods and products both for the population, but especially for authorities and state institutions related to the sphere of national defense.

• “Due to the nature of the services offered by the company, but especially their importance, the company cannot have interruptions in its activities, and therefore the changes proposed by this regulatory act must be approved and implemented as a matter of urgency, so as not to create dysfunctions in the implementation of the proposed services, as well as to be able to achieve a correct and realistic budget basis for 2023,” the document also states.

Romanian Post plans to lay off 300 administrative and managerial staff this year, with severance pay, and about 100 natural redundancies per month, according to the postal operator’s 2023 revenue and expenditure budget.

Romanian Post estimates that the number of employees will reach 21,900 at the end of this year, which is 1,200 less than the actual number estimated on December 31, 2022.