Over the past 30 years of restructuring its post office network, Omniva [Eesti Post] has now reached a point where post offices remain only in county centers and a few select locations in Tallinn, Harju County and Ida-Viru County where volumes are higher, Omniva CEO Martti Kuldma said on the morning show "Terevisioon."

"On the other hand, we've rolled out digital services and a parcel machine network and, in fact, the number of access points for both parcel and future postal services is increasing. We plan to add more than 50 percent more parcel machines compared with today and we actually want to begin offering postal services through them already this year," he explained.

According to him, the plan to use parcel machines for delivering letters requires government support in the form of amendments to the Postal Act, which are currently under review in the Riigikogu. "This would allow us to move toward offering the same kinds of access solutions and digital features people are used to seeing with parcel services. So in the future, when you receive a letter, you'll already see it in your mobile app — you'll be able to redirect it or even pay for sending a letter digitally with just one click," the CEO said.

Kuldma attributed the consolidation of post offices in larger towns and their relocation to the outskirts of cities to the fact that, 20 to 30 years ago, postal service was a state-prioritized and primary means of communication between the government, individuals and businesses. That has now changed drastically.

"All communication has either moved or is moving to digital channels. And if we look at postal volumes, they've dropped dramatically," said Kuldma, noting that letter volumes have declined by 24 percent annually over the past five years. Traditional postal services like newspaper home delivery have fallen by 10 to 15 percent annually. At the same time, cost pressures have continued to rise.

"If we have to maintain the same postal network and provide the same level of service, it will become increasingly difficult for society to sustain," Kuldma said, justifying changes to service availability.

Asked what Omniva offers people who lack digital skills, Kuldma replied that post offices will not disappear, though he admitted their locations will change depending on the county and, in some cases, move farther from where people are used to finding them.

"The reason for that is simple: we already have a distribution center in every county seat and it makes logical sense for us to combine the post office with the distribution center," Kuldma explained.

He acknowledged that changing locations is always difficult for people. "But access to postal services is not decreasing — it remains available. In addition, we have a personal postal service, meaning you can actually call a postal courier to your home. They'll help you choose a stamp, give you an envelope and accept your letter," Kuldma added, noting that the service is intended for those who live more than five kilometers from a post office.

Regarding the pilot project involving so-called "community couriers," Kuldma said the trial launched in Tallinn last June has reached a point where community couriers now handle half of Omniva's parcel volume in the capital. Similar systems are currently being tested in Tartu, Haapsalu and cities like Riga, Kaunas and Vilnius. In the future, community couriers may also begin delivering letters, Kuldma added.

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