Fast, flexible, available to all people even in the remotest village. This is the future concept of Czech Post introduced by Milan Chovanec, Minister of the Interior, at a press conference held together with Martin Elkán, new Czech Post’s Director General, and Jan Mareš, Chairman of Czech Post’s Supervisory Board, today, Friday 20 June 2014.

The minister stated that the state-owned company Czech Post must first become a modern business organisation able to respond to the challenges posed by the 21st century. As a public and general service provider, Czech Post needs a clear concept. It is the task of Martin Elkán to meet this need. “Two months ago, I promised to give a new direction to Czech Post because it became rigid and stopped developing any further. I am convinced that Martin Elkán and his new team are able to make a change. I fully support both him and Jan Mareš in this process,” said the Minister of the Interior and added that he also welcomed that the trade unions expressed their support to the management board.

Martin Elkán, new Czech Post’s Director General, promised to transform Czech Post into a customer-oriented company that will be a part of the key infrastructure and a partner to the Czech government. “I am glad that Milan Chovanec is a person who is interested in Czech Post. I clearly say that we are ready to fulfil any tasks that will be given to us, including the task of not cutting the number of post offices,” said Martin Elkán. In the period to come, Czech Post will concentrate on tasks such as improvement of letter and parcel services, and will try to find a most customer-friendly model of providing bank and insurance services. The company is also ambitious to become the central purchasing organisation of the Czech government and its exclusive nationwide logistic partner.

Main trends of Czech Post’s future development:

• Maintaining the network of post offices in the scope required by the Czech government, modernising them and maintaining their accessibility;
• Improving the comfortability of services by extending the opening hours at post offices and providing better services to the public;
• Amending the Postal Services Act in order to obtain government guarantee for funding the net costs of the general service as a public service;
• Gaining a significant share in the market of financial and insurance services;
• Enhancing the scope of services in the area of centralisation of the public ICT;
• Acting as the main partner of the Czech government for communication with the public in projects such as national census, sale of government bonds, VAT lottery, elections, secondary school leaving examinations, postal pharmacy, readings of water, electricity, gas etc. measuring devices.

Lucie Nováková

Executive Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of the Interior