Blocking tackle: Against privatisation of the Japanese Post Office

Blocking tackle – An article from Post Express – 4th July 2001

The postal ministry of Japan has come out with drastic measures as a counterproposal to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s plans to privatise postal services. Reports from The Asahi Shimbun newspaper say it has obtained documents showing the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications is attempting to substantially improve the inefficient nature of postal services -mail delivery, postal savings and postal insurance -although it falls short of accepting privatisation.
The services are expected to be converted into a public corporation in April 2003. However, the details of how this will be done remain under wraps.

“Make it difficult to totally privatise the postal services”

The ministry opposes the proposed privatisation of the postal services.
“It appears that the ministry is trying to create an environment that will make it difficult to totally privatise the postal services,” said the newspaper’s report.
The postal ministry plans to establish an advisory body of experts from the private sector to help draft bills aimed at revising laws related to the creation of the public corporation that will take over the three postal services in April 2003. The ministry hopes to have the bills submitted to the ordinary Diet session in 2002.