Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Tsutomu Sato asked Japan Post Holdings Co. on Tuesday to postpone its planned integration in October of parcel delivery operations with Nippon Express Co., Sato said.
In a meeting with Japan Post President Yoshifumi Nishikawa, Sato said the ministry would like Japan Post to reconsider the timing of the integration due to concerns that it may cause problems for customers and services to deteriorate.
Japan Post Service Co., the mail delivery unit of the government-owned Japan Post Holdings, submitted the integration plan last month for Sato's approval. He said he cannot approve it at this point.
With Sato's request, the integration may be delayed. He plans to give the plan his nod after Japan Post re-examines the timing of the business integration.
The plan also includes a hike in fees for the company's parcel delivery services in mountainous areas in response to earlier requests from Sato's predecessor, Kunio Hatoyama.
In Tuesday's meeting, Sato pointed out that concerns about the quality of parcel delivery services for major customers and personnel distribution after the integration have not yet been resolved.
Sato also asked Nishikawa to consider how he would respond if parcel service integration affects earnings of Japan Post Service.
In January, Japan Post and Nippon Express said they would postpone the integration planned for April until October due to delays in unifying their computer systems.