New home affairs minister Taro Aso expressed skepticism Wednesday over the timetable put forward by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to privatize the postal services entity.

Aso, former policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, emerged as the head of the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry following the latest Cabinet shakeup.

"Making a law (to privatize the body) is a big deal," Aso said. "I wonder if the timetable (Koizumi has put forward) is sufficient to prepare" the envisaged legislation.