During a meeting this week between representatives of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and the Latvian Press Publishers Association, the possibility was discussed of switching, starting in 2027, to delivering subscribed print media three times a week instead of daily. The aim would be to ease the burden on the state budget, the ministry reported.
Minister of Transport Atis Švinka (Progressives) stated that during talks with the association, the parties agreed that in 2026 subscription delivery costs for publishers would not increase. The MoT will review the distribution of expenses to ensure publishers’ share of costs remains at the 2025 level.
According to Latvijas Pasts (Latvia Post) spokesperson Inita Fedko, the postal service is still awaiting more detailed information from policymakers. However, the ongoing dialogue involving Latvia Post, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Culture, and publishers’ organizations shows progress toward a constructive solution.
Fedko noted that Cabinet of Ministers regulations are expected to be amended to ensure publishers’ subscription delivery fees remain unchanged. She stressed that Latvia Post also seeks a long-term, financially viable subscription delivery model,
recognizing the importance of print media in maintaining national security
and the diversity of the information space.
Universal postal service quality requirements, which also apply to subscription deliveries, are set by the Public Utilities Commission. The current rules remain in force until the 31st of December, 2026, but should be reviewed in light of falling demand for universal postal services, which is declining by about 10% annually. Delivery frequency standards must be assessed together with broader sector conditions and in consultation with all stakeholders. Latvia Post confirmed it is open to discussions.
As previously reported, Latvia Post plans to raise universal postal service tariffs again on the 1st of January, 2026.
The cost of sending a domestic standard letter up to 20 grams – the most popular service – will rise by 2.2%, from 2.30 euros to 2.35 euros. The price of sending a registered domestic parcel up to 1 kg will increase by 2.8%, from 6.82 euros to 7.01 euros, with each additional kilogram costing 1.25 euros. The price of an insured domestic parcel up to 1 kg will rise by 22.1%, from 6.87 euros to 8.39 euros, with each additional kilogram also costing 1.25 euros.
Meanwhile, in the first half of this year, the number of printed press copies decreased by 13.5% compared with the first half of 2024. As a result, the submitted tariff project foresees a 15% increase in per-unit delivery costs for print media, from 0.80 euros to 0.93 euros.
Earlier, on teh 1st of January this year, the price of sending a simple domestic letter up to 20 grams increased by 39.4%, from 1.65 euros to 2.30 euros (excluding VAT). A registered letter of the same weight now costs 4.35 euros, while an insured letter costs 4.50 euros.
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