The Associate Press reported Wednesday that recent cuts in the United States Postal Service included ending Saturday mail delivery.
Last November, the USPS reported a 15.9 billion loss from the past fiscal year, almost three times the amount of the 2010 fiscal year.
The Postal Service has reduced costs through buyouts and improved productivity, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said. But he said it will continue to hemorrhage money unless Congress acts soon to allow it to end Saturday mail delivery, eliminate payments for future health benefits and permit expanded retail sales.
The agency has repeatedly said that its financial woes are partly the result of the funds Congress requires the Postal Service to set aside for future retirees.
In order to save money, the USPS will be making several cuts, including closing post offices in some small towns and discontinuing Saturday mail.
Going through with only a five-day mail delivery week, the postal service will save $2 billion annually.
The postal service plans to continue Saturday delivery of packages including medicine, which remains a profitable and growing part of the delivery business. Post offices would also remain open on Saturdays so that customers can drop off mail or packages, buy postage stamps or access their post office boxes, officials said.
Letters and magazines would only be delivered during week days.
If Congress allows the USPS to end Saturday mail, the new plan could be implemented as early as August.
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