National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology of the Republic of Moldova

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) posted on its official website www.anrceti.md a new section - Postal Communications, which includes useful information for postal service users, for entrepreneurs working in this sector and for those who intend to enter the postal market. ANRCETI developed this section as the authority, empowered by Law on Postal Communications no.36 of 17.03.2016 (hereinafter - Law no. 36/2016) with regulatory and supervisory functions for the postal service market.

The new section provides basic information in plain language, related to the provisions of Law no. 36/2016 on norms and conditions of activity in postal communications, rules of postal service provision and access to universal postal service, on relations between postal service providers and users.

The new section specifies the main provisions of the law and ANRCETI’s tasks for their enforcement, in particular those related to the implementation of two important projects in Moldova: universal service and general authorization in the postal sector. The universal postal service means the permanent provision of a set of postal services of a specified quality in all areas of the country at affordable prices for all users. By Law no. 36/2016, the state guarantees to any natural or legal person the access to the universal postal service under non-discriminatory conditions.

In the new section provides information on the set of services included in the universal postal service, the method of financing this service, the requirements and conditions to be fulfilled by SE "Posta Moldovei", designated by the above-mentioned law as provider of universal postal service. Thus, SE "Posta Moldovei" shall provide every village with at least one post collection from every post office and access point and at least one delivery to the address of any natural or legal person per working day, at least 5 days a week, except in cases of emergency. In the cities, on Saturdays, post offices of SE "Posta Moldovei" will work at least 4 hours and at least one post office will be operating on Sundays.

The section describes the procedure for obtaining the right to provide postal services under the general authorization regime, which simplifies market entry of new service providers. The system will be implemented by ANRCETI, according to Law No.36/2016 with effect from October 29, 2016.

General authorization procedure provides that any natural or legal person registered as an entrepreneur in Moldova, intending to provide postal services, before starting work, has to submit a notification to ANRCETI, stating his intention. ANRCETI, within 15 days as of the notification date, will issue a standard certificate, attesting the notification and the registration of the requestor in the Public Register of Postal Service Providers, as well as the rights and obligations of the postal service provider. The forms to be filled in for the general authorization procedure are available in the new section. The preparation of documents under the general authorization regime is free of charge and the right to provide postal services under this legal regime applies with no time limitation.

The new tasks of ANRCETI in the field of postal communications are targeted at implementing the general authorization regime in this sector, supervision and monitoring of compliance with the obligations imposed by law on SE "Posta Moldovei" and with the conditions of the general authorization regime for the postal services, approving tariffs for postal services the scope of the universal postal service and tariffs for the use of postal network by providers, control the performance of the universal postal service and quality standards, solving complaints of postal users, as well as disputes between the service providers.

August 9, 2016