Swiss Postal Service to be deregulated
According to a decision by the National Council (lower house) taken last Thursday, Swiss parcel post will be totally deregulated as of the year 2004.
As to first-class letters, the limit of the Swiss Postal Service’s monopoly will be reduced to items weighing no more than 100 grams by 2006. Motions by leftist parties to block these moves were defeated.
By signing on to this gradual approach, the National Council chose the middle option of the three proposed by the Federal Council, and the one preferred by both the Council and a majority on the parliamentary committee which first considered the matter.
It was argued that the Postal Service is well prepared for the change and that the gradual approach caters to all interests. A motion to leave everything as it is until 2006 failed to garner enough support.
Fears expressed by leftists and Greens that opening the Postal Service up to market forces will endanger service to the public failed to move a majority of legislators. Also failing to gain support was a minority motion by the Liberal Democrats and the Liberals calling for the 100-gram-letter limit to be imposed sooner, by 2005.
