Postal Economics in Developing Countries: Posts, Infrastructure of the 21st Century?

Jose Anson, Universal Postal Union
Joelle Toledano, ARCEP
Laia Bosch
Justin Caron

Abstract

This book analyzes the challenges faced by the postal infrastructure in many developing countries at the dawn of the 21st century. On the one hand, market fragmentation, lack of regulatory framework, wrong pricing strategies and bureaucracy in a "just-in-time" world constitute the major hurdles to the development of economically viable and sustainable postal networks. On the other hand, the capillarity of these networks has shown a real comparative advantage in achieving financial inclusion of the less better-off, or facilitating access to export markets for micro, small and medium-size enterprises. The book provides advanced analysis in these areas, and concludes with the discussion of the triptych "liberalization, privatization, and regulation" applied to the postal sector.