2005年-世界发展银行全球_Reforming_the_Posts___Abandoning_the_Monopoly-Supported_Postal_Universal_Service_Obligation_in_Developing_Countries_23页_339kb

Summary of Reforming the Posts: Abandoning the Monopoly-Supported Postal Universal Service Obligation in Developing Countries

Core Content

This paper by Charles Kenny challenges the traditional model of monopoly-supported universal service obligation (USO) in developing countries, particularly the idea that universal letter delivery is a necessary or universally demanded service. It argues that the USO model, which is often justified by the need to ensure affordable access to postal services, is inefficient, impractical, and regressive in the context of developing economies.

Main Arguments

• Letter delivery is not universally needed: In poor countries, the demand for letter delivery is low. For example, in countries with GDP per capita below $1,000, the average number of letters per person per year is less than 1, while in high-income countries, it is close to 100.

• Monopoly model is unsustainable: Developing countries have small postal markets, making it difficult to achieve scale economies. This leads to high per-unit delivery costs and limited profitability, which undermines the financial viability of the monopoly model.

• Costs of USO are prohibitive: Even in low-volume environments, the cost of delivering a letter under USO standards is extremely high. For instance, in a country with 10 letters per capita, the cost per letter exceeds $0.76, which is far above the cost of delivery in developed countries.

• Alternative models are more viable: A competitive approach that allows for universal access to a range of services (not just letter delivery) is suggested. Post offices can provide financial services, government transactions, and other services that are more in demand by the poor.

• Monopoly is inefficient and unresponsive: Monopolies, especially government-operated ones, tend to be inefficient, untrustworthy, and unresponsive to market needs. They lack the incentive to innovate or improve service quality, and often result in low consumer trust and satisfaction.

• Competition improves outcomes: Evidence from Tanzania shows that postal reform and liberalization led to increased mail volumes, improved service quality, and better consumer satisfaction. This suggests that competition can enhance postal performance.

Key Information

• Postal Jipp Curve: A strong correlation exists between GDP per capita and letters per capita, indicating that economic development drives postal usage.

• Monopoly vs. Competition:

  • Monopolies are often legally enforced and financially supported to provide universal access.
  • However, in developing countries, monopolies are inefficient and fail to deliver on USO promises.

• Economic and Social Impact:

  • Low-income countries have high per capita delivery costs and limited profitable routes.
  • The USO model may be regressive, as it forces urban users to subsidize rural delivery, which is often not used.

• Case Studies and Evidence:

  • Tanzania saw a 100% increase in mail volume after reform.
  • Senegal uses a post office box system to reduce costs.
  • Trinidad and Tobago successfully implemented a monopoly USO model with high household delivery rates and improved service quality.

• Legal Monopoly Critique:

  • The "natural monopoly" argument is weak in developing countries, where competition can exist and deliver better outcomes.
  • Differential pricing and asymmetric charging can help finance rural access without enforcing a full monopoly.
  • Regulation of monopoly pricing may not be sufficient in countries with limited profitable routes.

Conclusion

Kenny concludes that the monopoly-supported USO model is not appropriate for developing countries. Instead, reforms that promote competition and a broader range of services are more likely to improve efficiency, trust, and consumer welfare. The paper emphasizes that universal access should be to services that are actually needed, not just letter delivery, and that monopolies may not be the best way to achieve this goal.

Key Statistics

Indicator	<$1,000	$1,000-$5,000	>$5,000
Letters/Capita	0.9	4.6	98.4
Total letter volume (m)	10	634	2,468
KM² per post office	4,702	1,738	458

Letters/Employee	<1,000,000	1,000,000 – 100,000,000	>100,000,000
Letters/Employee	3,587	20,693	59,739

Cost of Mail/Piece ($)	10	5	1
Mail processing	0.06	0.07	0.16
Transportation	0.02	0.03	0.07
Window service	0.08	0.13	0.34
Delivery	0.76	1.19	3.06
Other	0.44	0.69	1.77
Total	1.36	2.11	5.40

Recommendations

• Abandon the monopoly model for letter delivery.
• Promote competition in postal services.
• Define USO more realistically, focusing on access to a broader range of services.
• Adjust pricing structures to reflect actual costs and encourage efficient service delivery.
• Reform to improve efficiency and trust in postal networks, which are key drivers of performance.