2.7 INVESTMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN

THE POŠTA SLOVENIJE GROUP

The Pošta Slovenije Group earmarked EUR 22 million for investments. Capital expenditure at Pošta Slovenije was earmarked for current operations and a development project in the area of information technology, through which we ensured growth in certain revenues, and improved and optimised processes.

Subsidiaries invested in hardware and software, and transportation and other equipment. The Intereuropa Group invested in the arrangement of warehouse capacities, information technology, logistics equipment and transport means.

The Pošta Slovenije Group earmarked the majority of funds for investments in the network, more specifically for means of transport and real estate:

for the vehicle fleet, which comprises light delivery vehicles that are primarily used for regular and express mail deliveries, medium-size delivery vehicles that are primarily used for the delivery and collection of parcels and the transport of mail on routes between postal outlets (e.g. from MSLC to post office and from post office to post office), bicycles, scooters for ordinary delivery and freight vehicles;

in accordance with the energy efficiency strategy electric vehicles were purchased – one medium-sized delivery vehicle, 59 four-wheeled vehicles and 27 scooters, and the first solar power plant was installed at the site of the transhipment post office in Celje;

in accordance with the network strategy premises were constructed in 2020 for the Koroška logistics post office in Šentjanž pri Dravogradu, and construction work was completed for the establishment of logistics post offices in Celje and Ptuj and delivery post offices in Videm pri Ptuju and Idrija;

the construction of the logistics post office in Murska Sobota is currently in progress;

at the site of the Ljubljana Mail Sorting and Logistics Centre we commenced construction of a more than 5,000 m2 hall in 2020.

In the scope of the network strategy we are planning further amendments to the capacities of the logistics network, in terms of space and transport, and to the corresponding logistics equipment in Slovenia and in the region.

Divestment

An important component of real estate management is the sale and divestment of Pošta Slovenije’s real estate, which in 2020 was also based on the plan outlining the sale of real estate during this business year.

The real estate sales plan is a result of the optimisation and transformation of the postal network in accordance with strategic projects OPO and STROM. In accordance with the OPO project this involves surplus and commercially obsolete real estate that is released upon the transformation of postal outlets into contracted post offices and other forms of contact points. On the other hand, the STROM project focuses on the transformation of the entire postal network conducting optimisations on the basis of analyses of the logistics and postal network, which lead to the closure of smaller post offices and the construction of large logistics post offices covering more square metres that are required for the storage of a larger number of parcels and other postal items. The real estate that is closed is therefore sold; in some cases, it is leased to contracted post office operators or classified as investment property.

We sold 23 properties in 2020, including 22 commercial properties measuring a total of 3,137 m2 and one parcel of land measuring 230 m2. One of these sold properties was also the large commercial building of the former Kranj business unit. The sale of real estate was successful despite the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic via public online auctions, through direct sales and by collecting non-binding and binding tenders.

At the end of 2020, we had leased out commercially obsolete real estate measuring a total of 15,081 m2 at 96 locations under 129 lease agreements. Surplus office premises and premises for service activities, postal outlets (to contracted post office operators) and work apartments were leased out.