Postal competition 'creates jobs'

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Research commissioned by TNT Post found that the economic benefit to the UK economy of opening the market to competition is at least £229 million, which could rise to over £400 in the next few years.

There are now 18 licensed competitors to the Royal Mail, although the report pointed out that the main postal group still delivers 99.8% of post.

Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post UK, said: "This research proves that postal competition in the UK is good. It is good for business. It is good for the UK taxpayer. It is good for Royal Mail.

"We want to create jobs, we want to innovate, we want to deliver for our customers but we are being held back by the Royal Mail VAT advantage. It has to go."

David Stubbs of Europe Economics, which conducted the study, added: "Royal Mail has been a key beneficiary of competition to date. Prior to the deregulation of the UK postal market, its pace of innovation and reform was slow relative to that in other postal markets.

"Royal Mail is facing up to its future and starting to address the challenges of its customers who are looking at new ways to communicate or advertise their products."

TNT Post is a leading competitor of the Royal Mail, handling more than 130 million items a month.