Russian Post estimates it receives marketplace payments of 24-25 bln rubles per year

MOSCOW. July 18 (Interfax) - Infrastructure payment receipts from marketplaces to Russian Post may total approximately 24-25 billion rubles per year, Mikhail Volkov, head of the post office, said.

Last Spring, Russian Post advanced a proposal to charge marketplaces and other participants in the e-commerce market with annual revenues of 1 billion rubles or more an infrastructure payment of 0.5% of quarterly turnover. Russian Post proposed to use the funds received to maintain its loss-making network of post offices, and to secure the status of a federal guaranteed e-commerce supplier.

"According to our calculations, 0.5% of the volume of the e-commerce market, as it exists today, would come in at around 24-25 billion rubles. To date, we have submitted the calculation that we have made to the Ministries of Finance and of Economics, and it is now being worked out; our colleagues generally confirm it," Volkov said on Tuesday at a meeting of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy.

At the same time, the costs of the Russian Post for the provision of socially significant services in small villages amount to 36 billion rubles, which means the receipts of the infrastructure payment will not cover these costs, Volkov said.

According to the head of Russian Post, if the introduction of an infrastructure payment from marketplaces is approved, the mechanism will start working no earlier than the second half of 2024.

Volkov called the proposed payment amount of 0.5% of the marketplace turnover optimal, as it would solve the problems of Russian Post, and not be a serious burden on e-commerce market participants.