From Postal Regulatory Commission;
NOTICE AND ORDER ON RATE ADJUSTMENTS,CLASSIFICATION CHANGES, AND TEMPORARY PROMOTIONS FOR MARKET DOMINANT PRODUCTS
On January 15, 2015, the Postal Service filed a notice of inflation-based rate adjustments affecting market dominant domestic and international products and services, along with four temporary mailing promotions and numerous proposed classification changes. The intended effective date is April 26, 2015.
The Notice triggers an expedited notice-and-comment proceeding.2 The Notice is also more complex than the typical annual adjustment filing due to the impact of surcharges associated with the exigent rate case (Docket No. R2013-11) and the issue of rate design, especially new and merged rate cells.3 The Postal Service addresses the impact on rate design in its Notice. The Postal Service also presents two sets of rates: with and without the exigent surcharges.
Nature of adjustments. Most of the planned adjustments entail increases to market dominant rates and fees; however, in a few instances, the Postal Service proposes either no adjustment or a decrease. In addition, price adjustments for products within classes vary from the average, sometimes substantially.
Proposed classification changes. The Postal Service proposes numerous classification changes in its Notice.
Calendar year promotions. The Postal Service seeks approval for the following four promotions for the periods indicated:
- Earned Value Reply Mail Promotion (May–July 2015);
- Advanced and Emerging Technology Promotion (May–October 2015);
- Color Transpromo Promotion (June–November 2015); and
- Mail Drives Mobile Engagement Promotion (July–December 2015).
Note to all interested persons. The Notice and related filings, including library references, provide important additional details concerning the planned adjustments, mailing promotions, and classification changes. The Commission strongly encourages interested persons to carefully review the Notice and all related filings, including new MCS language relating to changes corresponding to the exigent surcharges, and to monitor the Commission’s website for additional information, including potential revisions to the Notice.
Public notice. The Commission hereby provides public notice of the Postal Service’s filing and pursuant to rule 3010.14 establishes Docket No. R2015-4 to consider the planned price adjustments in rates and fees for market dominant postal products and services, as well as the related classification changes, identified in the Postal Service’s January 15, 2015 Notice. The Commission invites comments from interested persons on whether the Notice is consistent with 39 U.S.C. 3622 and the requirements of 39 CFR part 3010. Comments are due no later than February 4, 2015.
Availability of documents. The Commission has posted the public portions of the Postal Service’s filing on its website at http://www.prc.gov. The Commission will post revisions to the filing (if any) or other documents the Postal Service submits in this docket on its website, along with related Commission documents, comments, or other submissions, unless such filings are the subject of an application for non-public treatment. The Commission’s policy on access to documents filed under seal appears in 39 CFR part 3007.
Public Representative. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints James Waclawski to represent the interests of the general public (Public Representative) in this proceeding.
Comments on the planned price adjustments and related classification changes are due no later than February 4, 2015.