Italian state-owned postal services company Poste Italiane and local leasing company Banca Italease SpA launched on May 10, 2005, the joint service Leasing BancoPosta. Leasing BancoPosta is intended for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), traders and freelancers. They can apply for a financing of up to 150, 000 euro (USD 192, 795) for real estate and capital goods purchases.
Read MoreExcerpt from IFW feature on Germany: The German parcels market is showing slower growth this year due to the countrys weak economy, according to leading operators.
Read MoreDeutsche Post AG announced Monday that its first-quarter profit rose by 2 percent, helped by increased air and sea freight revenue, and said it was on track to meet its full-year earnings target. The Bonn-based company earned EUR 455 million (USD589 million), or 41 euro cents (52 US cents) a share, in the January-March quarter up from EUR 446 million, or 40 euro cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was down, however, falling to EUR 10.52 billion (USD 13.62 billion) from EUR 10.57 billion a year ago. The outlook was attributed to better revenue in the company’s mail business and because of operating improvements in the US. The company said it was still working to improve its DHL unit, which is in bitter competition with FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. “This year, measures taken to ensure the continuing positive development of DHL’s US express activities are being implemented,” the company said. The unit lost EUR 133 million (USD 172.2 million) in the first quarter, but that was an improvement from the
EUR 147 million loss in the same period last year.
Allan Leighton, Royal Mail chairman, is expected to begin pushing next week for a partial privatisation of the national postal operator through an employee buyout. The proposal, which would enable Royal Mail to borrow an extra Pounds 2bn against its balance sheet, will test the government’s manifesto pledge that there were “no plans to privatise” the postal group. Royal Mail officials said yesterday there was enough “wiggle room” in the government’s position to allow the John Lewis-style plan of employee ownership to be implemented. The man who will ultimately decide whether the scheme could go ahead is Alan Johnson, a former postman and the new secretary of productivity, energy and industry.
Read MoreBumper profits of about Pounds 530 million will be unveiled by the UK Post Office next week, boosted by sharp rises in stamp prices over the past three years. The surprise surplus, more than double the Pounds 220 million of last year, will trigger Pounds 1,000 bonuses for the 195,000 workforce. At the same time, chairman Allan Leighton will announce a dramatic improvement in delivery standards, though Royal Mail is expected to miss its most important target that 93 per cent of firstclass mail should arrive the following day. The surge in profits was given a cautious welcome by the Government funded watchdog, Postwatch. A spokesman said: ‘It is good to see the Royal Mail heading in the right direction, but we should not get too excited. Much of this increase is down to us the consumer who is having to pay more for stamps.
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