Tag: Government

End of nation’s postal subsidies in sight (Vietnam)

Posted by | Jun 12, 2008 | |

Viet Nam’s postal sector may see tough times ahead, as the Government is considers cutting loss compensations in the sector to heal the ailing industry by 2013.
The Government will cut subsidies to the postal sector in 2013. How are the relevant authorities preparing for this?
The Government recently passed a public postal development plan, in which will gradually reduce subsidies to the postal sector, and completely end them in 2013. This was a very important decision, and it will have a strong impact on the sector.
We can see that the 2013 deadline is appropriate, despite the fact that it is unprecedented in Viet Nam. However, the separation is a litter bit late and needs the efforts of both the postal sector and the Government.
Can you tell me more about what the Government will do for the postal sector, before leaving it alone?
First of all, we’re giving the sector a 5-year transitional period, which will help it to prepare for the future.
Secondly, there will be two types of postal entities. One will belong to the Government and will be geared towards public service, while the other will be privately owned and will operate with market principles.
However, service prices at State-owned postal companies will be at least 10 times less than those of privately-owned companies.
Is it true that the ministry is also considering an adjustment to the prices of some postal services?
This is a very hot topic. The Ministry of Information and Communication has directed the postal sector to create a price adjustment roadmap for the near future.
In fact, the current price of postage stamps is very low, well below operating costs. An increase to service prices would help local postal operators improve postal networks and invest in new technologies.
However, as the economy is facing difficulties now with skyrocketing inflation rates, timing for any hikes would not be decided until next year.

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Pos Malaysia to disburse rebates

Posted by | Jun 6, 2008 | |

National postal services provider Pos Malaysia Bhd has been appointed as the agent to disburse the rebates promised by the government to car and motorcycle owners.

Malaysians can start claiming the subsidies at all 686 post offices nationwide beginning July 1, where vehicle owners who made the claims personally at post offices will be paid in cash, Pos Malaysia said in a statement yesterday.

To help citizens cope with the fuel price hike, the government has promised a road tax subsidy for vehicle owners from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009. Owners of 2000cc and below cars and of up to 2500cc pick-up trucks and jeeps are entitled to RM625 for each vehicle. Those with motorcycles of up to 250cc will receive RM150 each.

Vehicle owners who send third parties to make claims, however, need to furnish Pos Malaysia with their mailing addresses, after which money orders will be mailed to the respective owners.

Details of the claims procedures and required documents would be revealed soon, Pos Malaysia said.

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Belgium open to postal ties to Scandinavian group

Posted by | May 31, 2008 | |

Belgium is open to the idea of its postal service becoming part of the new joint Danish-Swedish mail group, a minister told Belgian business daily De Tijd in a story published on Saturday.

Sweden and Denmark agreed in April to merge the two countries’ post offices, creating a company with annual revenues of about USD 7.5 billion that will eventually be listed.

Sweden will own 58.23 percent of the capital. The letter of intent was also signed by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners which owns a minority stake in Post Danmark, the Danish post office.

The move has led to speculation about what might happen to Belgium’s postal service, in which the Belgian state has 50 percent and one share. Post Danmark and CVC have the remaining stake of just under 50 percent.

Vervotte was open to the idea of Belgium’s La Poste/De Post, and its 37,000 workers, becoming part of the new Scandinavian group.

Belgium has similarly said it wishes to retain control over former telecom monopoly Belgacom , but might be ready to lower its stake if Belgacom found a merger partner.

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24th UPU Congress: July 2008

Posted by | May 28, 2008 | |

International decision-makers will participate in a high-level debate on 25 July 2008 focusing on the theme “The postal sector, an essential component of the global economy”.
The conference will set the tone for 24th Universal Postal Congress, which opens in Geneva, Switzerland, on 23 July and lasts until 12 August 2008.
Three panel discussions on how postal services can work effectively in an era of globalization, the challenges and the new frontiers for the postal sector in an ever-changing world, and partnerships for the global supply chain will be held throughout the day.

“The general debate will be one of the highlights of Congress and particularly important, strategically, for the entire postal community. Indeed, it represents an opportunity for UPU members as well as postal stakeholders the world over to exchange insights on the future of the postal sector. The debate aims to confirm the sector’s appropriate positioning in view of the world’s economic reality, the new issues affecting the sector, and the UPU’s next four-year strategy,” says UPU Director General Edouard Dayan.

Journalist Muriel Siki, from the Télévision Suisse Romande, and Professor Matthias Finger, from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, will lead the round table discussions.
With two months to go before the 24th UPU Congress opens at the Geneva International Conference Centre, preparations for the event are going well. Some 1,500 delegates from the UPU’s 191 member countries are expected to attend the Congress, held only every four years. The international postal meeting will also draw hundreds of observers and participants from international organizations and stakeholders from the postal sector at large.

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Funding from the private sector will help Royal Mail deliver a valued universal service (UK)

Posted by | May 14, 2008 | |

Postcomm said that a universal service that is financially viable and safeguarded for the future is most likely to be achieved through a radical transformation of the governance and structure of Royal Mail.

Postcomm concluded in its first submission to the independent review of the postal market that Royal Mail’s current business model is unsustainable and that, unless some bold actions are taken very quickly, it is highly likely that its letters business will move to a position of managed – but accelerating – decline.

In its second submission Postcomm says:

– With the mail market now in structural decline, because of the increasing impact of e-mail and the Internet, Royal Mail needs access to private capital and a stronger set of incentives to enable it to restructure and become more profitable;
– Partnerships with the private sector, such as we are seeing in some European countries, could serve as a catalyst to more rapid transformation and greater efficiency from the universal service provider;
– As competition develops in segments of the market, it can replace regulation as the force which protects customers’ interests. This – and the need for much more transparency about the costs of Royal Mail’s business – will be a major theme of Postcomm’s proposals for the regulatory framework post April 2010;
– The transformation of Royal Mail will ensure a more dynamic mail market that can respond quickly and effectively to changing customer needs as mail increasingly is challenged by electronic media.

Postcomm believes competition and liberalisation should continue to be promoted as they are delivering far better customer focus and strong incentives for all mail operators to innovate and to become more efficient. Competition has already benefited large customers, and choice is now becoming available to smaller businesses. The regulator also urges the removal of artificial barriers to postal market entry – including the removal of new entrants’ VAT disadvantage – which could encourage wider competitor involvement in the collection, sorting and delivery of mail.

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