German bank Postbank, part of German postal services group Deutsche Post, plans to expand its activities with processing payment transactions. The bank, which has processed payment transactions for German banks Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank since 2004, revealed that it was considering an agreement with a third major customer for 2005.
Read MoreThe price of a first-class stamp is set to rise from 30p to at least 36p by 2010, after Royal Mail’s regulator yesterday significantly relaxed proposed price controls for the next four years. The move follows a prolonged battle between the state-owned postal operator and the regulator over prices in the run-up to full competition in the market at the start of next month.
Postcomm conceded yesterday that “obviously the headline could signal we’ve caved in a lot”. In June, the regulator proposed capping Royal Mail’s regulated prices at 2.5 per cent below inflation. Following intense lobbying by Royal Mail – which warned the curbs would send it into a spiral of decline and possible collapse – Postcomm’s final price controls equate to a limit of only 0.1 per cent below inflation.
Nigel Stapleton, the regulator’s chairman, admitted: “Consumers could look at this and say: ‘They’ve started out tough and now gone extremely weak’.” But he insisted the changes were driven by information that emerged during the consultation, rather than any pressure from Royal Mail or its sole shareholder, the government.
Read MoreDHL Turkey, the local arm of Belgium-based express delivery group DHL, launched its Invest in Turkey campaign, aimed at attracting foreign investors to the country, it was reported on December 7, 2005.
The initiative will be carried out in three stages and the first one envisages attracting investors’ attention towards Turkey by attaching “Invest in Turkey” stickers on all parcels, CEO Andy Baker said. The company forwards more than 100,000 packages monthly to various destinations.
Read MorePresentation by James Campbell to the Associaton of Postal Commerce.
Contents: Overview of Markets
II.Universal Service
III.Postal Monopoly
IV.Regulation
V.Evolution of National Post Office
VI.Postal Reform Process
VII.Lessons, etc.
Postcomm’s proposed price control for Royal Mail will allow modest increases in stamp prices to enable the company to modernise its operations, secure its universal service, serve its customers better and help plug its GBP4bn pension fund deficit. Postcomm’s final price and service quality proposals for 2006-10 will safeguard the one-price-goes-anywhere universal service, provide an unprecedented GBP1.2 billion for Royal Mail to invest in modernising its network, allow Royal Mail an average of GBP320m a year towards reducing the GBP4bn deficit in its pension fund and require Royal Mail to increase its efficiency by at least 3% per year. The customers’ contribution towards funding these initiatives will require an increase in stamp prices. Royal Mail will be able to raise first class stamp prices next year from 30p to 32p. By 2010 these prices will be capped to a maximum of 36p.
Royal Mail has indicated that it accepts the price caps proposed and its responsibility to finance its business within these constraints.
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