Ukraine's Postal Service Launches Property Sale
Ukraine's state-owned postal operator, Ukrposhta, has listed 20 non-core real estate assets for auction on the Prozorro.Sale platform. The bidding period is scheduled from March 3 to March 12, with the combined starting price for all lots set at nearly 248 million hryvnias. These properties, totaling 32.8 thousand square meters, represent approximately 3% of the company's real estate portfolio. This move is part of a broader effort by state-owned enterprises to streamline operations and reduce costs.
The assets up for sale are not involved in production or daily operations and do not affect service delivery. They consist primarily of outdated sorting facilities and vehicle depots. The most expensive lot is the buildings of a former sorting center in Lviv, covering 5.6 thousand square meters with a starting price of 56.9 million hryvnias. This facility has been unused since November 2022.
Other Lots and Company Expenses
Among the other lots, the one with the lowest starting price of 408 thousand hryvnias is a 69.6 square meter section of a former post office building in Zhdeniievo, Zakarpattia region. It is notable that the village of Zhdeniievo is now served by a mobile postal unit. Ukrposhta spends over 3.5 million hryvnias annually on maintaining these surplus assets.
In a related initiative, Ukrposhta has recently completed a major fleet modernization, selling 716 units of obsolete Soviet and post-Soviet era vehicles through the same Prozorro.Sale platform. The company's press service clarified its approach, stating:
"Why can't Ukrposhta simply donate or transfer these assets to communities? Because they are part of the capital of a state-owned joint-stock company, and the only legal way to transfer this property is through sale. Giving away assets for free to anyone constitutes corruption."
Holding these auctions on the Prozorro.Sale platform demonstrates Ukrposhta's commitment to optimizing its asset portfolio and cutting the costs of maintaining unnecessary real estate. The sale of both property and outdated equipment allows the company to focus on core business processes and improve financial efficiency. In the context of public administration, the transparency of such processes is crucial, as it helps mitigate corruption risks associated with the disposal of state-owned property.