Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/201237 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2013
Series/Report no.: 
ETLA Working Papers No. 22
Publisher: 
The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (ETLA), Helsinki
Abstract: 
This study aims at investigating the order of magnitude of financial burden of the universal service obligation for the universal service provider. Prior studies have adopted various different cost accounting methods to assess the order of magnitude of net costs arising from postal universal service provision. This study, instead, uses econometric approach for predicting hypothetical profits that the universal service provider had earned without the universal service obligation, and then calculates the net losses for the firm. The econometric model takes into account the impact of cost efficiency on a firm’s profits and further the universal service provider’s entitlement to reasonable profits on postal markets. The data from the firms active in the postal and courier activities sector in Finland during the years 2005-2012 indicate that the profitability of universal service provider was clearly lower than that of competitors during the sample time period. The annual loss due to the universal service obligation was about 5 – 8 percent of the turnover of the universal service provider.
Subjects: 
universal service obligation
profitability
net cost
postal services
JEL: 
D22
K20
L50
L87
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.