Postal regulators have called for Royal Mail to be partially privatised in order for them to increase the effectiveness and quality of the business. It has been noted before, by Postcomm, that the financial issue of Royal Mail will only worsen over time unless bold action was taken.

Nigel Stapleton, (Postcomm’s chairman) has said that without private sector investment or some sort of government subsidy the business is looking to fail.

The only time Royal mail was truly secure in its placement was back in 1650, back when it held the a monopoly for 350 years which ended in 2006 when other operators were allowed to collect and deliver any mail they choose.

Although Royal mails dominance was not a short lived one it seems mostlikly that the business will fall to failure if private sector investment does not come into play. In the year to the end of March Royal Mail lost £279m. The core root of this loss is because Royal Mail has lost a lot of business in the lucrative bulk mail collection and sorting market, but still must uphold less profitable universal delivers.

This proposal does not come without scrutiny, the Communication Workers Union, (the main postal workers’ union), said Postcomm’s proposal overstepped its remit.

Although Royal Mail is falling into financial difficulties it still does hold 90% of the marker, the main issue it seems, besides the fact they constantly lose mail, is that they need to become a more effective and objective business. Royal Mail has had too light a ride with its 350 year dominance and has become lazy or, as economists call it, productively inefficient.

There is and has always been highly debated over, the idea of; a monopoly best because or A or is a competitive market best because of B. It is easy to notice that, not only from 350 years leading to failure but also form the lack of efficient allocation Royal Mail uses that it would be best for the business to have an open market forcing it to become a highly productive and efficient in the market.

“Royal Mail needs access to private capital and a stronger set of incentives to enable it to restructure and become more profitable,” Postcomm said.

The independent review of the postal sector will submit its final report this summer and will give deeper insight in where Royal Mail may be heading.

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