A report in the algarvedailynews on November 20th covering the closure of CTT Postal services in Ourique, ended with a warning that, “moves also are afoot to close the Post Office in Alcoutim, transferring services to the Council.” (HERE)
The local Communist Party has condemned the closure, stating that the transfer of postal services to Alcoutim Council’s offices “does not serve the population of Alcoutim.”
This Alcoutim closure was advised by CTT management in November as part of a wider strategy to shut down post offices in rural areas and foist the service onto local Councils.
The Communist party statement points out that CTT’s decision does not serve the interests of the people of Alcoutim as it seeks to deepen the degradation of public services in a remote rural territory that has been ignored by successive governments.
Also, the transfer of many current post office services to the local authority does not solve the problem and leaves question marks over the longer-term continuation of those services.
The Communists state that CTT’s directors are only interested in making a profit from big businesses and large postal distribution centers, abandoning communities in the interior of the Algarve or transferring services to local Councils.
The majority Social Democratic Party in Alcoutim Council, instead of informing and mobilising locals to save their post office, preferred to accept the change without having the necessary competence to guarantee a quality service.
The government has said nothing about CTT’s plans to ditch rural services as efficiency directives continue. The postal service is worsening with delays in the arrival of mail, the dismissal of workers and the sale of assets.
The Communists want the post office to come back to State control and to see an improvement improving in the postal service for all communities.
The national Communist Party will bring up the Alcoutim branch in parliament while demanding a return to public ownership.
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CTT's response to an algarvedailynews enquiry about store closures, reads as follows:
"CTT has been strengthening access points throughout the country, maintaining the relationship of proximity with the population and ensuring that the needs of the clients are assured.
"We now have 2,392 Access Points, that’s 75 more CTT Access Points compared to 2014, the year of privatisation. More than 100,000 customers a day use these outlets.
"CTT Access Points are opening at a faster rate than Post Offices are closing.
"These solutions aim always to provide a better overall quality in the services that CTT provides and to ensure the provision of the public service such as the payment of social benefits, delivery of warnings and the payment of invoices, have the advantage of being more convenient for the population.
"This retail network maintains a strong presence and proximity to the populations and, through the association with partners, this network contributes to the development of the local economy."
The link http://www.ctt.pt/feapl_2/app/open/stationSearch/stationSearch.jspx shows all current outlets.
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