KDH Concerned about Quiet Post Office Closures, Convenes House Committee

Bratislava, 10 July (TASR) - The opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) have drawn attention to a troubling trend in which Post Office branches are being quietly closed down in Slovakia, which, according to the party, is negatively affecting the inhabitants of smaller villages in particular. KDH vice-chair and acting chairman of the House committee for public administration and regional development Igor Janckulik opposes the government's attempts to cut costs on essential services for the public and has responded by calling for a parliamentary committee meeting. "That's precisely why I'm concerned about the quiet closure of post offices, which is already taking place in several locations. I won't let this go unchallenged. As acting chair of the parliamentary committee for public administration and regional development, I'll convene a committee meeting so that the management of the Slovak Post Office and the relevant ministry can explain the criteria that they are using to close down branches and what solutions they are offering to people in rural areas. Rural areas don't need grand gestures, they need functional services," said Janckulik. The KDH lawmaker emphasised that post offices aren't just ordinary buildings where people pick up packages; they represent a key piece of infrastructure for many people. The party rejects the idea that the consolidation of public finances should come at the expense of the most vulnerable groups in society. In Janckulik's view, the state should first cut its own spending, eliminate unnecessary agencies, reassess the number and functioning of ministries, and limit overpriced events and marketing expenditures. The Slovak Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS) on Thursday (9 July) met Slovak Post Office head Vladislav Kupka to discuss the optimisation of postal services. The association doesn't agree with the closure of post offices, although it understands the need for postal services to be economically sustainable. "We call for consistent communication from the Slovak Post Office toward local authorities and a greater degree of empathy regarding measures that directly affect the lives of people in the affected areas," emphasised ZMOS chairman Jozef Bozik. am/df