Tag: Asia

US calls for more transparency in privatization of Japan Post

Posted by | Jun 6, 2007 | |

The United States raised concern about the transparency of the privatization of Japan Post, the giant postal service that also provides banking and insurance services.

But US Trade Representative (USTR) Susan Schwab said new measures undertaken by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government would help further open markets, encourage new business opportunities and stimulate competition.

The USTR published the sixth annual joint report prepared by the US and Japanese governments under the US-Japan Regulatory Reform and Competition Policy Initiative.

Highlights of the joint report, which reflects a range of measures that Japan has either taken in recent months or will take in the near term, include the streamlining of import procedures for certain agricultural and other products as well as further opening Japan to foreign investment.

Other steps include increasing transparency of regulatory and policy decision making in sectors ranging from healthcare to information technology and strengthening protections against anti-competitive acts.

The report also incorporated new measures Japan has taken in response to US recommendations on the importance of creating a level playing field in the privatization of Japan Post with private companies in the banking, insurance and express delivery sectors.

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How Much Postal Reform in Japanese Postal Privatization?

Posted by | Jun 5, 2007 | |

The presentation gives information about the following subjects:

1. Postal law in Japan pre-2005
2. Postal services in Japan
3. Postal privatization package (2005)
4. Postal reforms in perspective
A. Commercialization of the post office
B. Definition of universal service
C. Repeal of the postal monopoly
D. Independent regulation

Conclusions

• Japan has entered the final phase of modern postal modernization, privatization, without the normal preparatory steps
• Significant risks
– Market distortion
– Failure to prepare Japan Post for competitive market
– Problems in privatization

Presented in the 15th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics, 31 May-2 June 2007, Semmering, Austria.

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Japan Post to introduce employee stock ownership scheme

Posted by | Jun 5, 2007 | |

Japan Post Corp., a planning company for the breakup and privatization of state-owned Japan Post, plans to introduce a stock ownership scheme to employees of a privatized group, Jiji Press learned Tuesday.

The scheme will be aimed at raising employees’ awareness of the management and luring qualified workers, sources close to the matter said.

According to a business program for Japan Post, the “Yucho” postal savings bank and the “Kampo” insurance firm to be born out of the planned privatization of Japan Post in October will aim to go public in fiscal 2010. Japan Post Corp., which will be a holding company for four offshoot firms to be created in the breakup, will also plan to list its stock in the same year.

Employees at the group’s remaining two companies, a mail delivery firm and a post office network management company, will also be allowed to hold shares of the three listed companies, the sources said.

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Korea Post focuses on high-tech mail service

Posted by | Jun 5, 2007 | |

Postal service has been traditionally regarded as a deficit-ridden business, largely due to its enormous labor costs. The president of Korea Post does not agree.

“Korea Post has strived to stay afloat by reducing unnecessary costs, increasing productivity and expanding businesses,” said president Jung Kyung-won, who took the helm of Korea Post in April this year.

Take Korea Post`s savings and banking service called EVERRICH as an example. It has recorded a net profit of 2 trillion (USD 2.2 billion) last year. EVERRICH has a 40 trillion won savings business and a 20 trillion won insurance business, the CEO said.

In less than two months since taking office, Jung has done a lot of things and will have a lot more to do during the remainder of his tenure.

Korea Post deals with several services including postal distribution, door-to-door delivery, international express mail services, and banking and insurance services. The state-run post has about 45,000 employees — 32,000 regular employees and 13,000 part-time workers.

“Korea Post has nearly 2,800 branches across the nation so that it can render banking and insurance services to residents of remote areas such as agriculture and fisheries towns, for which most private financial institutes cannot reach,” Jung said.

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New TNT service taps demand for speedier express service

Posted by | Jun 5, 2007 | |

Called the Emergency Express service, the premier delivery service literally ensures that a customer’s urgent overseas shipments get out on the first available flight and is timed around a customer’s schedule with 24X7 immediate response and pick up.

TNT’s latest innovation taps on the growing demand for even speedier express services as there is a strong need to maintain shorter business cycles and low downtimes to avoid holding inventory costs and obsolete products.

This is particularly the case among high tech and aviation industries where managing business continuity for enterprise customers is vital. The perishable nature of some specimens within the life science industry also requires time critical services.

TNT has put in place a dedicated Emergency Express team in Asia who are on standby 24 hours, seven days a week, to meet the critical on-time pick-up and delivery of urgent shipments.

Instead of using fixed express networks, TNT provides a customised routing system to select the first available flight out for immediate deliveries of urgent shipments. As a result, consignments on the Emergency Express service can reach any major city in South East Asia as fast as between six and 16 hours.

Currently available in all major cities across seven countries in Asia – namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan – TNT has plans to expand the service to include Korea, Taiwan and China before the end of this year.

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