New pension body opens for business

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Japan Pension Service, an organization set up to succeed the scandal-plagued Social Insurance Agency, started full operations Monday with a pledge to restore public trust in the public pension system.

At an opening ceremony held at the entity's headquarters in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Nagatsuma said, "I want you to have pride in your duties and tell yourselves you're the ones who protect people in their retirement."

Takashi Kiriku, the new entity's first director general and a former executive director of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), also urged his employees "to work together to regain public trust in the pension system."

Japan Pension Service is a public corporation whose employees do not have the status of government employees. Most of the 10,800 staffers were transferred from the Social Insurance Agency. However, agency officials who had been disciplined for reasons including improperly checking pension records were not hired. In all, 525 agency officials were dismissed.

The names of 312 social insurance offices nationwide have been changed to pension service offices.

The entity has drawn up 10 pledges to improve customer service and restore public trust, including "Pick up the phone within three rings," and "Don't make visitors wait more than 30 minutes."

Handouts listing the pledges were distributed to everybody at the opening ceremony.
(Jan. 5, 2010)