Post of Slovenia preparing for market liberalisation

Slovenia’s state-run postal service is still preparing its privatisation strategy, which is to be decided on by the government after it is confirmed by the company’s supervisors, the chairman of the Post of Slovenia Ales Hauc said in an interview for STA. According to Hauc, the Post is well prepared for the liberalisation of postal services market, which is to take place by 2009. He said the company is to be privatised in two steps, with a strategic partner allowed to take over 24% of the Post in the first stage through a capital injection. After a transition period in which the cooperation with the partner and synergy effects would be reviewed, the second stage would follow allowing the same or another strategic partner to buy up to 49% of the company. “We have taken up the privatisation project because numerous postal services in Western Europe have already been privatised,” Hauc added. He pointed to Germany as an example, where the state owns only 46% of the postal company, while the rest is in the hands of private investors. Being an all-Slovenian company where national interests should be considered as well, the Post of Slovenia should be kept in state-majority ownership, Hauc believes. Asked about possible strategic partners, Hauc said the company has been in talks with a number of European postal operators and has already been presented with good offers, however, he refused to reveal further details.