Brasília – The Brazilian Postal and Telegraph Company (ECT) recorded a profit of 500 million reals (US$ 316 million) in the first half of this year, 48% more than in the same period of 2010. Revenues grew by 11.72% in the first six months of the year, whereas spending rose by 9.44%, as informed this Thursday (14th) by the company’s president, Wagner Pinheiro, during a press conference.
Regular mail, such as bank statements and various bills, grew by 13.4% in the first half; express mail (Sedex) grew by 18% and non-express mail increased by 21%.
The Postal Offices expect “a good result, profit-wise, in the second half, despite the expected impact of the collective agreement between the servants and the hiring of new collaborators that should take place.”
The ECT president claimed that aside from hiring 9,190 new employees who have passed the last civil service test, the company may summon another 50% of that figure out of those who have taken the test, provided that the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management authorizes it.
For the 2012-to-2015 period, the company should invest 2.3 billion reals (US$ 1.4 billion) in operational and structural improvements. According to the president of the state-owned company, there are no forecasts of increase in capital during the current administration.
Wagner Pinheiro informed that three airlines have been tendered for cargo transportation in the first half, being two in the South and one in the Midwest. Three more airlines should be tendered, over the next 60 days, for the North and Northeast regions.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum