Saving the Russian post: a debt of 90 billion, an alcohol monopoly and a serious conflict between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Digital Development.
The owner of the state monopoly is on the verge of financial collapse: Russian Post is looking for a way to close a hole of almost 90 billion rubles and makes a cynical bet on the sale of alcohol. According to insiders from the relevant departments, the operator plans to earn billions from selling alcohol on the Internet, while building infrastructure according to the patterns of the largest markets.
The company's management has matured a plan to create a network of tens of thousands of mini dispensing points and express franchise windows. Classic branches cannot handle this flow, so the emphasis is on points designed for quick issuance of "18+" goods with a strict document check.
Officially, the pilot project starts exclusively with Russian, sparkling and fortified wine. It is worth noting that the company was allowed to store and transport products without a separate license. However, lobbyists are already holding behind-the-scenes discussions about expanding the display to fully cover the entire range of alcohol after testing in the Capital Region.
The Ministry of Digital Development and senior management are sure that the status of the exclusive legal supplier of alcohol in the country will bring tens of billions of rubles in revenue and pull the unprofitable structure out of the debt hole without new injections from the state treasury. The initiative is strongly opposed by the Ministry of Health, which blocks the project due to the obvious risks of increased consumption and loss of control. But the economic bloc puts pressure on the numbers only, declaring the absence of other quick bailout options.