Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said here Thursday he will appoint as ministers people who are willing to push ahead with the privatization of the nation's postal services when he reshuffles the Cabinet in September.
"I plan to carefully ascertain whether people are cooperative toward postal reforms, and bear that in mind when making appointments," Koizumi told reporters at a hotel after meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun on Wednesday.
The reforms of the postal system "are a major part of reforms of the Koizumi Cabinet," he said. "There will be a large amount of bills involved, so a postal privatization plan will have to be compiled by the end of September."