Since 2001 comprehensive postal reform legislation was needed to address the USPS¿s unsustainable business model, which assumed that increasing mail vol. would cover rising costs & mitigate rate increases. This outdated model limited its flexibility & incentives needed to realize sufficient cost savings to offset rising costs, declining First-Class Mail vol., unfunded obligations, & an expanding delivery network. This limitation threatened the USPS¿s ability to achieve its mission of providing affordable, high-quality universal postal services on a self-financing basis. This report focuses on: why the USPS was recently removed from a high-risk list; the USPS¿s financial condition in FY2007; & the opportunities & challenges facing the USPS. Charts & tables.

GAO-05-820 U.S. Postal Service: Improving Ratemaking Data Quality Through Postal Service Actions and Postal Reform Legislation