Swiss Post brings it - more expensive

 
Distribution The new postal rates for 2008 are too high for publishers. Now it's up to the price watchdog. 
The Swiss Press Association recently approached the price watchdog for the second time regarding newspaper transportation tariffs for 2008. The current reason: if Swiss Post has its way, publishers who will no longer benefit from press subsidies from 2008 will face hefty rate increases - in some cases up to 40 percent. "Press products with a low circulation, low weight and an insufficient degree of sorting in particular must expect a higher price increase," says Catherine Müller, legal advisor at the association. She has therefore submitted a few sample calculations to the price watchdog. The answer is still pending. The association had already made representations to DETEC and the price watchdog in August: Swiss Post applied for a rate increase of 4.4 percent from 2008 for titles that continue to benefit from press subsidies, citing inflation since 2004 as the reason. However, the publishers recalled that they and Swiss Post had reorganized newspaper logistics in 2004 and made it cheaper, ostensibly to prevent further rate increases. A retroactive inflation adjustment was therefore not justified. However, the publishers fell on deaf ears at DETEC. It agreed to the postal application. It remains to be seen what the price watchdog will say.
There is growing resentment among publishers, especially because Swiss Post talks about "market prices". "In fact, it still has a monopoly position," says Müller. And she adds that the association is now pushing even harder for liberalization of the postal market. DETEC has promised an initial draft at the beginning of 2008.
Markus Knöpfli