
In April, President Trump
created a task force to look at postal reform. The President's Task Force on the United States Postal System will publish its recommendations by August 10, 2018.
Last week, the White House had more to say, opening up the possibility of privatizing the post office. "Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century: Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations" covered recommendations for "structural realignment of the Executive Branch," including a restructuring of the USPS, while noting that some of the more significant changes would require legislative action.
The 132-page report is available in PDF format on the
WhiteHouse.gov website - skip to page 70 to get to the section titled, "Restructure the Postal Service."
Here is the summary of the proposal:
"This proposal would restructure the United States Postal System to return it to a sustainable business model or prepare it for future conversion from a Government agency into a privately-held corporation. Like many European nations, the United States could privatize its postal operator while maintaining strong regulatory oversight to ensure fair competition and reasonable prices for customers. The President's Task Force on the United States Postal System will make recommendations on reforms towards this goal in August 2018."
The USPS issued the following response to the restructuring proposal, available on the
USPS website.
The call for postal
reform has been ongoing for years -
five years ago, the USPS said it was facing an "unprecedented set of financial challenges heightened by the inability of Congress to pass comprehensive postal legislation," which it has still yet to do.
But such a direct call for postal privatization is noteworthy.
What is also new: The President's task force will examine the definition of the universal service obligation in light of what it says are changes in technology, e-commerce, marketing practices, and customer needs.
Redefining universal service would be significant, and would make it easier to reduce and/or privatize the US Postal Service.
How do you think restructuring and privatization might impact USPS service and shipping rates for your ecommerce business?
Update 6/26/18: Government Executive
published an article this evening about the the privatization plan's reception by lawmakers.