61205    When Mr. Ogura Masao, who originally came up with the idea for this epoch-making service, first made his application for establishing shipping charges for this small-lot parcel delivery business the Ministry of Transport did not accept his application documents.

61206    The reason was that there had been no precedent for this type of business undertaking.

61207    The bureaucrats in the Transport Ministry had not become aware that the demand for the transport of goods was shifting toward "smaller lots," was undergoing a shift, in other words, from "industrial demand" toward much greater "consumer demand."

61208    This is surely an example of how bureaucrats have obstructed creative ideas put forward by private enterprises.

61209    The stir which Mr. Ogura made eventually gave rise to a large new industry, and at the same time it kindled discussions that led to taking a new look at ways in which the "Enterprises Law" regulated various branches of business and industry.

61210    We too are in favor of taking a fundamental new look at business regulations.

61211    It is not the sort of age where bureaucrats should control business and industry.

61212    But from the point of view of some segments of the business world, it is comfortable to be under government control since this tends to mean there will be no new entrants in their business fields and thus competition will be limited.

61213    However, in this case, the hard tasks of management tend to get slighted, and the quality of service falls.

61214    Consumers lose a lot in the bargain.

61215    The government has said that before March of this year it will prepare a "5-year plan for promoting the loosening of regulations."

61216    The Prime Minister, too, has, quite laudably enough, given his encouragement, saying that he "plans to come to grips with the matter, even placing at stake the fate of the cabinet."

61217    Including the process of preliminary investigations, we are closely watching for results.

61218    If we reach the stage where the "loosening of regulations" is no longer just a slogan but is entering a stage of specific action, there will be more examples in the business world of parties who show a passive attitude or even outright opposition.

61219    If links are made with certain segments of the bureaucracy and Diet members who are beholden to special interests, one could see a rebuilding of "special interest triangles" involving politicians, bureaucrats, and business elements.