Universal service obligations (USO) in the postal sector currently enjoy considerable attention among politicians, practitioners and academics. The primary areas of interest have been the viability, costing and funding of the USO in a completely liberalized market. However, the purpose and the...

The gains in life expectancy are expected to double the dependency ratio and increase population by 10% in Switzerland until 2050. To quantify the effects on social security and public finances, we use an overlapping generations model with five margins of labor supply: labor market...

Die Höhe der Preise für Konsumgüter in der Schweiz gibt immer wieder und insbesondere aufgrund der aktuellen Frankenstärke zu Diskussionen Anlass. Dies gilt auch und insbesondere für die Briefpreise in der Schweiz. Die Preise im Monopolbereich der Post müssen sich jährlich wiederkehrend...

Driven by market opening and increased competition from electronic communication, postal operators have started extending their scope of business by offering hybrid mail services in addition to physical mail conveyance. This paper discusses commercial and regulatory aspects of reverse hybrid...

This paper argues that transforming the postal business model goes hand in hand with a transformation in the definition of universal service obligation. Whilst postal operators need to fully embrace the unique competitive space created by electronic substitution, at the intersection between the...

The study analyzes the UPU's current termination charge system in the international parcel market referred to as inward land rate system (ILR system). Based on the findings the study develops recommendations for its improvment.

This paper explains the potentially excessive termination charges and low quality levels in the international parcel market with a stylized game theoretic model. Within this model it is possible to elaborate the distortions currently in place. The model incorporates quality to account for...

Distortions under the value-added tax (VAT) arise mainly from the exemption of specific services and sectors. This paper develops an analytical model that is applicable to any sector characterized by asymmetric VAT exemptions of services and activities or differentiated tax rates. We analyze the...