June 27 (Reuters) - Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky

will become the chairman of British parcel and postal firm Royal

Mail, his investment firm EP Group said on Friday.

Kretinsky's EP Group closed its 3.57 billion pounds ($4.90

billion) acquisition of Royal Mail's parent company

International Distribution Services ( ROYMF ) earlier this month.

The new owner of one of the world's oldest postal companies

also said on Friday that it had allotted and issued a "golden

share" of 1 pound to the British government, which was part of

the deal.

The "golden share" ensures Royal Mail retains its

headquarters in Britain and would continue to pay UK taxes.

Royal Mail was privatised in 2013 in a massive state selloff

at an initial public offering price of 330 pence a share.

Kretinsky was already the biggest shareholder in IDS, the

owner of both Royal Mail and international parcels network GLS.

The deal was cleared in December after Britain secured

commitments from Kretinsky to protect the more than 500-year-old

company and the future of thousands of workers and customers.

($1 = 0.7288 pounds)