National News

Koizumi forms new Cabinet to push ahead with key postal reforms

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (center) and members of his new Cabinet pose for a photo Sept. 27 at his official residence.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi formed a new 18-member Cabinet on Sept. 27, appointing former education minister Nobutaka Machimura to succeed Yoriko Kawaguchi as foreign minister and replacing 10 others, with mostly newcomers as state ministers.

But Koizumi retained Hiroyuki Hosoda as chief Cabinet secretary, Sadakazu Tanigaki as finance minister, Heizo Takenaka as economic and fiscal policy minister, and Taro Aso as internal affairs and communications minister, whose jurisdiction covers postal operations.

To press ahead with his key reform initiative, Koizumi assigned Takenaka to fill the newly created post of postal reform minister, while making him give up the financial services portfolio to Tatsuya Ito, who was senior vice minister in charge of financial services as well as fiscal and economic policy.

Takenaka told reporters the government will forge a specific system and make legal changes for postal reforms in accordance with the plan adopted by the Cabinet last month that calls for splitting Japan Post into four companies at the start of a 10-year privatization process in April 2007. (Kyodo)

Shukan ST: Oct. 8, 2004

(C) All rights reserved