Koizumi reiterates Japanese postal reform

Japan’s prime minister opened the extraordinary Diet session Tuesday with a promise to push forward structural reforms, especially with postal services.

Junichiro Koizumi also stressed the government’s desire to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and repeated his resolve to deal with the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and settle the abduction and other issues with North Korea.

But he did not elaborate his plans to improve the pension system, the most vital election issue in July, Asahi Shimbun reported Wednesday.

Koizumi said he would submit bills to the Diet to facilitate privatization of the postal service by April 2007.

Koizumi also mentioned the three-pronged fiscal reform plan concerning financing for local governments, including reducing central government subsidies, transferring tax revenue sources and revising tax allocations to local governments.