Bulgarian Posts opens office network to competitors

T-Post has become the first private postal operator to be granted access to the network of Bulgarian Posts, the state-owned postal operator.

Under the one-year agreement signed by the two companies, Bulgarian Posts undertakes to deliver T-Post letter and parcel consignments to population centers not yet serviced by the private operator.  Talks are still in progress to add more services to the scope of the arrangement.

At the moment, T-Post has offices in 21 population centers and should add another 27 by the end of 2008. Bulgarian Posts operates a network of around 3,000 offices.

T-Post said it wanted the agreement to have a longer validity but Bulgarian Posts was reluctant in view of the constantly rising fuel and transportation costs. T-Post attempt last year to gain access to the Bulgarian Posts network failed after the incumbent said the necessary interconnection regulations were not in place. That was corrected in April 2008 when the relevant ordinance appeared in the Official Gazette.

In addition to the T-Post, the other local private postal operators are Ekont Express and MIBM Express.