Japanese government to submit bills for mailservice deregulation
The government will submit two bills to the Diet aimed at fully opening mail services to the private sector in 2003, when a new public corporation is created to take over state-run postal services, government sources said Friday.
The bills are based on a report by an advisory panel submitted to posts minister Toranosuke Katayama in December.
The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications will submit the bills probably March to this year’s regular Diet session, which convenes Monday.
One bill is for the establishment of the new public entity, which will take over the three postal services — mail, postal savings and “kampo” insurance — from the government.
The bill calls on the new entity to adopt the management structure of private firms to make it more efficient, publishing financial statements based on the same accounting rules as those in the private sector.
The other bill is one for allowing private firms to enter mail services, requiring companies wishing to handle postcards and letters to provide daily mail services nationwide at the same cost.
The ceiling on minimum postage rates would be 80 yen. Applicants will also be required to create easy and confidential service systems, such as the establishment of post boxes.
