RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The regulatory framework for the postal sector, which ends the monopoly of the Postal Service (Correios) and paves the way for the privatization of the state-owned company, is expected to be approved on Wednesday, August 4 or Thursday, August 5.
To maintain the universalization of the service, the text provides for the signing of a concession agreement with the winner of the auction for the sale of the state-owned company, scheduled for early 2022.
“The goal is to ensure legal certainty,” Cutrim says. The Constitution states that it is the federal government’s responsibility to maintain postal delivery, so a legally viable alternative to this problem must be found.
Another important point is the guarantee of tenure for 18 months after privatization for the current postal employees, who number more than 95,000. State employees will also benefit from the health plan for 12 months and have the right to participate in retraining programs.
A new feature is the creation of a social tariff. Low-income Brazilians should have the privilege of paying a lower value for postage on letters and parcels, as is already the case with electricity bills.
“Aspects such as family income, the HDI of the region, and other socioeconomic parameters will be taken into account,” Cutrim said. In practice, a kind of registry of these Brazilians will be created. “This is what is already happening with the Bolsa Famíia,” says the deputy.
According to market sources, logistics and e-commerce companies such as Amazon have already expressed interest in acquiring the state-owned company, which is considered one of the world’s largest companies in the delivery sector. Correios should be sold as a whole to a single buyer.
The economic modeling studies, which will determine the value of the company’s liabilities and assets and its valuation, are expected to be completed by September.
The analyses will be carried out by the National Bank for Economic Development (BNDES) and the consortia hired for this purpose. The auction is expected to take place in March next year.