Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed strong dissatisfaction Tuesday over continued opposition within his Liberal Democratic Party to privatizing postal services, saying it's "a done deal."
"I want you to stop holding discussions that lag the actual situation surrounding postal privatization," Koizumi said during a meeting of LDP executive members, according to meeting participants.
"If it's impossible to reach a consensus in the party, I will have to make a decision," he was quoted as saying, expressing determination to finalize a plan on postal privatization regardless of opposition from within the party.
On Aug. 6, the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, the government's key policy-setting panel, adopted a draft basic policy for privatizing Japan Post in stages, with the process due to begin in April 2007 and be completed by 2017.
The draft calls for splitting the public corporation's operations into four independent businesses -- for mail delivery, postal savings, life insurance and management of over-the-counter services at post offices -- and putting them under a holding company.