State more than doubling rural periodical delivery subsidy
The state is to more than double support for the delivery of newspapers, magazines and periodicals in remote areas next year, boosting it by €2.75 million and bringing the total subsidy to €4.528 million.
IT and entrepreneurship minister Andres Sutt (Reform) said that the hefty increase in the subsidy was needed to avoid a significant price hike to customers.
Sutt said: "Due to service provision costs growing, volumes declining and the salaries of first-level workers being increased in 2022, the subsidy has to be increased to prevent a significant growth in the price of home delivery."
The funding derives from dividends from Eesti Post/Omniva, the state postal service, Sutt added.
The subsidy for delivery of periodicals is an agreement concluded annually at the start of each year, and has been paid since the 1990s.
The current figure of €1.778 million dates back to 2019.
The National Audit Office (Riigikontroll) recently criticized the state postal service provision, including is delivery to outlying areas of the country, and said it was in need of modernization.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
