《TAIPEI TIMES》 Chunghwa Post to raise parcel, express mail rates
Chunghwa Post staff attend customers at the Minsheng Post Office in Taipei on June 7 last year. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
By Chen Yi-chia and Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Chunghwa Post Co (中華郵政) yesterday announced that it would increase prices for domestic parcel and express mail deliveries effective March 4.
The company said that it has not raised prices for domestic parcel and express mail services since 2001 and 2007 respectively.
The change is being made to reflect increased costs and to ensure that its services are sustainable and widely available, it said.
Charges for domestic parcels weighing up to 5kg currently range from NT$70 to NT$100 (US$2.27 to US$3.24), depending on the point of origin and destination.
The change would see this category split into parcels weighing up to 3kg and more than 3kg, but not exceeding 5kg, with prices for the former remaining unchanged, while the latter would increase by NT$10 to between NT$80 and NT$110.
Overall, the delivery prices of domestic parcels are to increase by NT$10 for parcels weighing more than 3kg, but not exceeding 10kg, and by NT$20 for parcels more than 10kg, but not exceeding 20kg.
The company is also splitting the more than 1kg, but less than 5kg category for domestic express mail deliveries into more than 1kg, but less than 3kg, and more than 3kg, but not exceeding 5kg.
Prices for the lower category are to remain unchanged at between NT$130 and NT$200, while prices for all other categories not exceeding 10kg are to rise by NT$10.
Prices for express mail weighing more than 10kg, but less than 20kg are to increase by NT$20.
The prices for its selection of pre-paid flat-rate boxes and envelopes are to stay the same, the company said.
In the past few years, the company has reported losses of about NT$2.9 billion annually for its express mail, prompt delivery mail and parcel services.
It reported annual losses of NT$537 million, NT$5.55 million and NT$2.29 million for overall postal services in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
In August 2017, it raised prices for letter deliveries, which had not been adjusted in 26 years.
While last year’s financial statement is not yet available, the company said that it expects to report a profit for the first time in years.
Chunghwa Post handled about 25 million domestic parcels and 10 million domestic express mail items last year, bringing in a combined NT$2.9 billion in revenue, company data showed.
The price adjustments are expected to generate an additional NT$64 million per year.
新聞來源:TAIPEI TIMES