Small Norwegian firms warn postal service cuts will hurt competitiveness
Small businesses say the government's plan to cut postal services and reduce delivery frequency will increase costs and squeeze their ability to compete.
Anja Krange Akre, responsible for customer, logistics and purchasing at the e-commerce firm Sjarmtroll, explains that sending goods now requires an eight-kilometre trip to the closest post office, and that stamps are increasingly hard to find. She cites a 99-kroner ink set as an example where the cheapest postage option is no longer affordable. SMB Norge’s director Jørund Henning Rytman argues that the cut to postal services will force small firms to spend more time and money on mail handling, while larger firms can negotiate better rates.
The government’s proposal aims to cut funding for postal services, reduce delivery days from 2.5 to one per one outlet, and let senders pay extra for more frequent service, citing falling letter volumes and higher costs. Officials from the Samferdselsdepartementet note that the change does not affect parcel delivery and that alternative options such as post-box delivery will remain. Both Akre and SMB Norge call for an impact assessment to ensure the reforms do not unduly burden small enterprises.
Why it matters
Postal service reductions could raise operating costs for many small Norwegian companies.
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