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The move that will save the post office? MK Bitan with a surprising proposal | Israel Hayom

2023-01-30T17:29:34.378Z


In the finance committee, we discussed a move designed to protect branches in places where postal services are essential, especially in the periphery.


"Let's make a law for the banks to finance the postal bank"

: Against the background of concerns for the future of postal services in Israel, the Economy Committee discussed today (Monday) a course initiated by MK David Bitan to protect branches in places where they are needed, mainly in the periphery.

At the beginning of the debate, Member of Knesset Bitan turned to Communications Minister Shlomo Karai and told him to consider his proposal.

In addition, he asked the legal advisor to look into the matter.

"I am very concerned about what is happening at the post office. I know that a law was passed in the previous term and it is possible that we will improve it to some extent because I do not like what is happening at the post office," Bitan said.

"There are settlements in the periphery that need to be helped like we do in transportation. You can't dump all the services on the post office. The Treasury will join in putting its hand in its pocket. The post office is not a company that can be managed profitably," he continued.

"Israel Post is not a profitable company", Bitan in the proposal to save the postal services (archive), photo: Oren Ben Hakon

Finance Minister Karai said in the debate, "I demanded that in fairly isolated places it would not be possible to close a post office that offers basic services such as the post office bank or other basic services. Also, there should be a maximum distance of three kilometers between one service point and another.

In terms of public demand for postal services, it seems that there has been a significant decrease in demand in recent years.

The market is moving to digital services and apart from regulatory requirements that compel companies to send letters there is no use for sending letters.

Only 10% of the letters are from private citizens nowadays.

Therefore, every time a budget of hundreds of millions is transferred to the post office, it is paid by the public.

"I gave an order not to close essential post offices in the periphery", MK Shlomo Karai, photo: no

"We intend to make sure that in this recovery process the service to the public will not be harmed, but rather accessibility will improve through the digital and through the establishment of service points that offer the main services that are needed today as a replacement for the branches that will be closed," Karai continued to explain.

"In the periphery, I gave an order that it would be impossible to close branches like in Arad, for example, even if the service does not require it.

"In order for the branch to close there must be an 80% drop, which is impossible. Also, we require a distance of 3 km between each customer and a service point.

There are those who have gotten used to having branches near the house and I have received such inquiries from citizens regarding branches with the Post Bank.

I asked to see the layout and planning - what the post office intends to close in the coming year and what it intends to open, and I recommended that local authorities can also reach an agreement with the post office regarding a branch that is important to them," he concluded.

Member of Knesset Bitan replied to them "Heads of authorities will, it will be impossible to reach an agreement".

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Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2023-01-30

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