Japan Post group reorganised
Japan’s postal system has been reorganised with the aim of improving services. The shake-up came as a revised postal privatisation law took effect Monday. Japan Post Holdings President Jiro Saito celebrated the occasion at Tokyo’s Central Post Office. The postal group previously consisted of a holding firm and 4 units. Now, 2 of the units have been merged to create the Japan Post Company.
The new unit combines post-office and mail-delivery services that were previously handled separately. The remaining 2 units oversee banking and insurance activities.
The change enables customers to buy stamps and pick up undelivered mail at the same post office window.
People who do not live near a post office can also entrust their postal account books to mail delivery personnel, and ask them to withdraw money on their behalf.
These services had been suspended when the postal giant was privatised 5 years ago.
The revised law also requires post offices nationwide to offer mail, banking and insurance services in an integrated manner.
But the reorganised postal group faces a challenge in making its operations profitable. The mail and parcel services have been operating in the red for years.
