Year: 2005

Gov’t authorizes Japan Post’s takeover of Daimaru’s trucking unit

Posted by | Sep 30, 2005 | |

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said Friday it has granted a request by Japan Post to buy a controlling stake in Asocia Corp., a wholly owned trucking arm of department store Daimaru Inc. In its first corporate acquisition, the postal services corporation has been permitted to buy a 67.6 percent stake in Asocia in the near future for 650 million yen, turning the Osaka-based trucking company into a subsidiary. The trucking company’s lines of business at present include storing, packing and delivering gifts on behalf of Daimaru and its group companies.

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Ceska posta only bidder for Czech postal service licence

Posted by | Sep 30, 2005 | |

Ceska posta, the Czech Post Office, was the only bidder for a licence to provide basic postal services in the next three years in a tender closed today, the regulatory Czech Telecoms Office CTU said. “The licence can be granted only to those who have adequate technological, organisational, economic and personnel qualities for such a task, including a branch network,” said Eduard Prandstetter from the CTU’s section for postal service regulation. Up to now, Ceska posta has always been the only applicant for the licence and has always obtained it. Prandstetter said the branch network requirement was one of the key obstacles to bigger competition among bidders for the licence.

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South Africa Post Office – budget gives room for some creative expansion

Posted by | Sep 30, 2005 | |

After years of financial losses and poor operating performances the SA Post Office (Sapo) is beginning to redeem itself. It has made a remarkable transition from a dud state-owned entity into a profitable outfit that has become a net taxpayer for the first time. Credit for this should largely go to former CEO Maanda Manyatshe, who took over the loss-making organisation five years ago and turned it around. He left to join MTN earlier this year. His successor, Khutso Mampeule, who arrived at Sapo in June, has inherited a stable organisation with good cash flows to enable him to steer it in a new direction that seeks to modernise the postal system and corporatise its banking arm, Post Bank, in a few years. Sapo’s operational profits jumped 400% to R135m (R27m) for the March 2005 financial year. Post Bank, which once suffered huge losses, is powering away, says Mampeule, with 13% growth in funds to R2bn.

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Austrian postal tariffs unchanged

Posted by | Sep 30, 2005 | |

Austrian postal company Oesterreichische Post AG (Post) does not plan an increase of its postal tariffs in the short term, Post AG CEO Anton Wais said on September 29, 2005. After the last increase in tariffs in 2003 Post AG said it would not revise them until the end of 2006. What will happen in 2007 will be planned in 2006, Wais said, adding that the postal tariffs were too low. The present stamp for a standard letter costs 0.55 euro (USD0.66) in Austria and is in the top quarter of the European Union (EU) average. Only Denmark, Italy, Finland and Sweden charge more while the tariffs in Germany are the same. Post will continue to pay dividends over the next few years, despite growing costs, Wais said.

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UPS opens new logistics facility to serve healthcare industry

Posted by | Sep 30, 2005 | |

UPS today officially opened its largest logistics facility dedicated to serving the healthcare industry, a 500,000-square-foot distribution center located near the company’s Worldport global air hub. Thanks to the location, air shipment orders received as late as 11 pm can arrive at their destination the next day, while packages shipped via UPS’s ground network can reach 70 percent of the United States in two days or less. “With this facility, we have added another healthcare distribution center that can help our clients meet the many operational and regulatory challenges they face,” said Rocky Romanella, president and general manager of UPS Supply Chain Solutions’ Americas region, speaking at the official dedication ceremony here. “This facility will allow us to manage pharmaceutical and medical devices and equipment in a secure and approved environment.”

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UK Post Office enters credit card market with unique “two in one” offer

Posted by | Sep 30, 2005 | |

The Post Office today launched a credit card with a unique feature – the flexibility to make larger purchases on a discounted fixed rate. The Post Office “two in one” credit card is the first in the UK with this feature. It means that customers have the benefit of a competitive credit card along with a market-leading, fixed rate, loan-like facility for major purchases. David Mills, Chief Executive, Post Office Ltd said: “By launching this unique ‘two in one’ credit card we’re setting a challenge to all other providers. Offering customers a flexible way of paying for larger purchases at a market-leading, discounted rate is something we believe provides real financial benefits and will shake up the market, challenging other lenders who impose higher rates.”

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Chronopost cuts jobs

Posted by | Sep 29, 2005 | |

Chronopost, the parcel forwarding subsidiary of French postal service operator La Poste, has announced over 300 job cuts as part of a restructuring plan.

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Countdown to competition: UK businesses want choice

Posted by | Sep 29, 2005 | |

Postwatch, the watchdog for postal services, welcomes the survey findings published today by the industry regulator, Postcomm, showing that UK businesses want the introduction of full competition in the postal market. Postcomm’s survey of business mailers reveals that 80 percent favour competition in the postal market, and that many would like to have seen competition introduced earlier than 1 January 2006. Greater customer choice, the potential to lower prices, and incentivising Royal Mail to improve performance were the main reasons given for favouring competition. Commenting on the survey findings, Gregor McGregor, Chief Executive of Postwatch, said: “Competition will put customers in the driving seat, ensuring that they can choose the service provider that is best suited to their needs. These findings confirm that businesses want competition in the UK postal market, and recognise the many benefits that ending Royal Mail’s monopoly will bring.”

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