The Greeting Card Association today issued the following statement following the formal announcement that the boards of EP Group and IDS, the owner of Royal Mail, had agreed a takeover deal:
GCA chief executive officer Amanda Fergusson said:
“Our members are rightly concerned that the undertakings being proposed by EP Group in relation to its takeover of Royal Mail are inadequate and short-lived.
“A first-class six-day service without long-term commitments on affordability risks leaving small businesses and consumers picking up the cost of this proposal. What’s more, undertakings that expire after a single five-year parliamentary term will not inspire confidence from small businesses and consumers that the service is being protected for the long-term.
“Five-year commitments to support an institution with over 500 years of history appears to fall short. The government and regulator must insist on lock-tight, long-term undertakings on affordability and reliability and the protection of our national service before approving this deal.
“What’s more, any future reform of our delivery service must be dependent on Royal Mail meeting the performance targets they’ve already signed up to.”
Last week the GCA revealed a simple six-point pledge as regulators and the government considered the future of the Royal Mail.
