EP Group, a holding company controlled by Daniel Kretinsky, agreed to acquire the remaining 72.4% stake in International Distribution Services, a postal service and courier company that provides collection and delivery services, for £3.6bn. "IDS, and Royal Mail in particular, form part of the national infrastructure of the countries they operate in. More than that, Royal Mail is part of the fabric of UK society and has been for hundreds of years. The EP group has the utmost respect for Royal Mail's history and tradition, and I know that owning this business will come with enormous responsibility - not just to the employees but to the citizens who rely on its services every day. The scale of the commitments we are offering to the company and the UK Government reflect how seriously we take this responsibility, to the benefit of IDS' employees, union representatives and all other stakeholders," Daniel Křetínský, EP Group Founder and Chairman.