Gian Luca Amici, director general of Poste San Marino, provides an update on the contacts established with the e-commerce giant to bring direct deliveries back to Titano. “Amazon is completing its internal evaluations. There is a willingness to find a solution, but caution is needed.” Meanwhile, Poste envisions a role as a national logistics hub, handling the single-phase tax collection and package distribution across the territory.
Director Amici, the 2027 Economic Programme revealed that Poste San Marino has opened discussions with Amazon. Where does this process stand today?
“We would have preferred to maintain a degree of confidentiality, because until Amazon gives the green light, there’s little point in going public. However, since the news is now out, I can confirm that Poste San Marino has been in contact with Amazon for over a year. I personally wrote to Amazon Europe’s leadership, based in Luxembourg, outlining the situation of the Republic of San Marino and proposing Poste as a single point of contact for the territory. Since then, several technical meetings and numerous in-depth calls have followed. Today, though, it’s important to stress that Amazon is still completing its internal evaluations, and for that reason, we believe it’s right to exercise maximum caution.”
What model have you proposed?
“The scenario we’ve been working on envisions Poste San Marino becoming a national logistics hub for shipments destined for the Republic. Amazon would deliver packages to Poste, which would then handle distribution across the territory and collect the single-phase tax (monofase) on behalf of the State. This way, residents could regularly receive their purchases in San Marino by paying the monofase tax rather than Italian VAT, while the State would recover revenue that is currently, in effect, collected elsewhere. This is a solution we’ve developed together with the technical and tax consultants involved in the discussions, and at this stage, it appears to be the most workable option.”
So there are positive signals from Amazon?
“Yes, there are encouraging elements. Amazon is well aware of San Marino’s situation and has expressed a genuine willingness to find a solution. Of course, one must take into account the organizational complexity of a multinational company operating worldwide. Any change requires highly detailed technical, fiscal, and IT evaluations. From what we’ve been told, a feasibility study is currently underway, and the intention would be to include the San Marino project in the 2027 planning cycle. If that happens, it would certainly be a significant step forward, as it would mean the project has entered the company’s internal planning process.”
Why is this project so important for Poste San Marino?
“It’s important first and foremost for the country as a whole and for its citizens, but it would also represent a significant opportunity for Poste. Traditional mail volumes are steadily declining, and the entire postal sector is undergoing transformation. Taking on a role in managing e-commerce shipments would open up new prospects for our company’s postal division. We will therefore continue working with determination to turn this project into reality, while remaining fully aware that we are still in the discussion phase.”
