The Post Office could be turned into an employee-owned mutual, the government has suggested, as options for a new ownership model are examined in a new 'green paper' report.
Concepts including mutualisation are "on the table for consideration" once the final report into the Horizon IT scandal is published later this year, the Department for Business and Trade said in a statement.
Publication of the green paper launches a 12-week period of public consultation for an organisation that is estimated to add £5.2 billion of 'social value' to the UK each year.
As well as looking at whether the Post Office should change its ownership model, the consultation will also examine ways to strengthen the relationship between the Post Office and its postmasters, the government said.
Options are also up for consideration, are whether Post Office services should evolve to meet current consumer needs and adapt to changing trends, as well as whether the network needs to be modernised while also ensuring that local services remain within reach/
There will also be a focus on whether the Post Office can improve and develop the banking services it provides.
Following the consultation, the government said it aims to "move further and faster to deliver a decade of renewal for customers and postmasters", alongside a "cultural reset" under new Post Office chair Nigel Railton.