Government plans to scale up 'market test'

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Government plans to scale up 'market test'

A governmental committee supervising public-private competitive bidding on December 19 set out a new plan to expand from nine to 27 the public services to put to the "market test" that the government will fully implement from April 2007.

Last May, the government enacted the market test law aiming at turning public services into profit-making businesses for private companies.

In addition to the nine public services, including the collection of national pension premiums which the government decided on in September, the panel proposed to include services offered at the window such as passport issuance as well as the collection of local taxes and the national health insurance premiums.

By allowing the private sector to enter into these services, this measure may cause an intrusion on personal privacy.
- Akahata, December 20, 2006