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One for all and all for one: privatization and Universal Service provision in the postal sector

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  • Philipp B. Schuster

Abstract

Universal Service provision has a special role for the public utilities sector in many Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. These public utilities have largely been subject to privatization during the last 3 decades. Efficiency effects of privatization are widely documented while the impacts on the quality and accessibility of the Universal Service are not much examined. By using a unique dataset on privatization for 21 countries over the period 1980--2007 for the postal sector, we are able to show that privatization, in particular formal privatization, has led to a decrease in the quality of the Universal Service.

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  • Philipp B. Schuster, 2013. "One for all and all for one: privatization and Universal Service provision in the postal sector," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(26), pages 3667-3682, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:45:y:2013:i:26:p:3667-3682
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2012.727982
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gautier Axel & Poudou Jean-Christophe, 2014. "Reforming the Postal Universal Service," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 13(4), pages 453-477, December.
    2. Bruno, Giuseppe & Cavola, Manuel & Diglio, Antonio & Piccolo, Carmela & Pipicelli, Eduardo, 2021. "Strategies to reduce postal network access points: from demographic to spatial distribution criteria," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Jaag, Christian, 2014. "Postal-sector policy: From monopoly to regulated competition and beyond," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 266-277.
    4. Yang Ling & Zhang Juzhi, 2015. "A Cooperative Mechanism Between China Post and Private Express Firm for Remote Area Express Market," Journal of Systems Science and Information, De Gruyter, vol. 3(3), pages 234-247, June.
    5. Blagojević, Mladenka & Ralević, Predrag & Šarac, Dragana, 2020. "An integrated approach to analysing the cost efficiency of postal networks," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    6. Tochkov, Kiril, 2015. "The efficiency of postal services in the age of market liberalization and the internet: Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 35-42.
    7. Milica Šelmić & Miloš Nikolić & Aleksandar Čupić, 2020. "Postboxes Quantitative Optimization Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-10, March.

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