Royal Mail to launch stock market flotation within hours Chief executive Nick Wells said: "Royal Mail needs access to capital for its modernisation plans. However, privatising a monopoly is bad for consumers, bad for business and bad for UK Plc. He added: "We are not against privatisation per se but we need a level playing field. It would be outrageous to privatise a Royal Mail that has a 20pc VAT advantage. Ministers are committed to privatising Royal Mail by April next year. It is expected to be valued at £3bn and a flotation could take place as early as mid-October. The float is seen by Business Secretary Vince Cable and business minister Michael Fallon as vital to drawing in the funds necessary to securing the future of the postal operator. The company's 150,000 staff have been promised a 10pc stake in the business, roughly equal to £2,000 each at a valuation of £3bn. The Government is set to confirm on Thursday that the public will be able to buy shares in Royal Mail. Sources say the public may take up as much as a quarter of the shares on offer. The Government is also expected to commit Royal Mail to paying out hundreds of millions of pounds in dividends to shareholders in a bid to secure City support for the privatisation.