Tag: Asia

Japan Post begins privatization 'rehearsals' at post offices

Posted by | Jul 14, 2007 | |

Japan Post conducted “rehearsals” Saturday at about 5,500 post offices nationwide to prepare for the planned privatization of the postal system in October, checking operations at counters and customer services that are required when it is split into four business entities and a holding company.

The rehearsals covered two of the four entities — Kampo Life Insurance Co. and a post office over-the-counter services firm, with about 40,000 staff members participating.

“We want to be fully prepared so our customers will be comfortable in using our services after the privatization,” said Michie Nakane, postmaster of a post office in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward.

The post office, located near JR Kinshicho Station, checked over-the-counter services, including money transfers.

Yucho (postal savings) Bank will conduct its rehearsal next Saturday at its 238 branches nationwide and will check its computer system, while a mail service company will later do its own checks.

About 5,900 post offices were initially scheduled to participate in the rehearsals on Saturday, but those in Kagoshima, Miyazaki and Okinawa prefectures canceled the plan because of powerful typhoon Man-yi, which was approaching the Kyushu region.

The rehearsals will run through Aug. 5 at about 20,000 post offices.

Japan Post is set to start a step-by-step 10-year privatization process on Oct. 1.

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Russian Post Opens Money Transfer Line to China

Posted by | Jul 13, 2007 | |

State-owned Russian Post said last Thursday it is launching a money transfer service to China in its first ever foreign venture. The Russian money transfer leader plans to sign next partnership deals with postal services in France, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

A money transfer deal with China Post was signed in mid-June, Russian Post told Kommersant. Russians and Chinese have been able to send money through the service since Monday.

China has become Russian Post’s first foreign partner in money transfers. The state-run postal service plans to reach similar agreements with their partners in France, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

USD 6 billion was sent from Russia in money transfers in 2006, according to the Central Bank. China is ranked 9th in the list of countries receiving the biggest amount of transfers from Russia.

Russian Post is the leader of the country’s leader money transfer with some 40 percent of the market.

Money transfer services largely rely on labour migrants’ remittances. 210,000 Chinese work in Russia making up the largest migrant labour group.

Experts note that Chinese are quite conservative and prefer services of big corporations, which increase Russian Post for success.

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DHL expands infrastructure in Sri Lanka with new Express Centre in Nugegoda.

Posted by | Jul 12, 2007 | |

DHL Keells (Pvt) Ltd inaugurated its newest Express Centre in the bustling town of Nugegoda. It will cater to the increasing demands of DHL’s retail customers in areas south of Colombo and beyond.

The Nugegoda Express Centre adds to DHL’s expanding network which includes Colombo, Kollupitiya, Ja-Ela, Mt.Lavinia, Biyagama, Kandy and Kurunegala. The Nugegoda Express Centre offers a range of products and services including Jumbo Box and Express Pallet targeted at retail customers.

During the last four years, DHL Keells (Pvt) Ltd. has made significant investments towards the development of infrastructure and facilities in Sri Lanka. Among them is the purpose-built Euro 2 million (LKR 260 million), 40,000-square-feet facility at Vauxhall Street in Colombo which houses 130 staff for both the administration and operations arms of DHL Express in Sri Lanka, as well as a 24/7 call centre.

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FedEx fails to clinch Safexpress deal

Posted by | Jul 11, 2007 | |

Federal Express’ attempt to enter the domestic logistics business have received a setback with the failure of its attempt to buy out SafeExpress, one of the largest Indian logistics company.

This deal could have been significant for FedEx Express, because its competitors, DHL and TNT, have been successful in entering the domestic logistics segment in India through strategic acqusitions. TNT acquired Speedage, a divison of ARC India, in 2006 for an amount of Rs 200 crore (GBP 2.46 million), while DHL had acquired 81.03 pct of Blue Dart in 2004 for an amount of Rs 730 crore (GBP 8.97 million).

Had the deal gone through, it would have given FedEx a fairly huge chunk of the market in the express cargo, 3PL and warehousing segment.

The opportunity for integrated solutions in the logistics industry is huge and FedEx Express, the world’s largest express distribution company did not want to miss it. A proposed Central Sales Tax (CST) phase out, investments in infrastructure and technology as well as pick up in manufacturing outsourcing have been driving the demand for logistics solutions in India.

Something had to give. So, in a final meeting, held at one of the banker’s place, a couple of weeks back, FedEx walked away from the deal. Ernst & Young were the bankers of Safexpress, while FedEx was represented by JP Morgan. The anxiety in the minds of top officials with respect to Mr Jain’s inability to take a standing decision on the matter has been building up for a while now. The employees were not sure of their fate in the course of change in ownership.

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Japan Post in talks for comprehensive tie-up with China Post

Posted by | Jul 10, 2007 | |

Japan Post is in the final stages of talks to form a comprehensive business tie-up with China Post, the Nikkei business daily reported Tuesday.

Japan Post President Yoshifumi Nishikawa was scheduled to meet his China Post counterpart Liu Andong in Beijing today with the aim of signing a memorandum of understanding on the deal, the report said in its evening edition, citing sources familiar with the matter.

If a deal is signed, it will be Japan Post’s first comprehensive alliance with a major overseas postal service provider or shipping company. The public corporation is to be privatized in October, splitting into four different entities, including a postal delivery unit.

As a first step under the planned alliance with China Post, Japan Post will increase the weight limit for its Express Mail Service — an international delivery service for letters and packages — by 10-20 kilograms from the current 30 kilograms, the Nikkei said.

It will also expand the areas of next-day delivery from Shanghai at present, to Beijing and other major cities, the daily said.

Japan Post is also considering acquiring a stake in a distribution subsidiary of China Post or creating a new joint venture for such operations, the report said.

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