Panel Defers Decision on Scrapping NTT Law

Tokyo, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese communications ministry panel Wednesday stopped short of making a definite decision on whether to scrap a law imposing various restrictions on Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.

In its final report released the same day, a special committee of the Information and Communications Council, which advises the communications minister, concluded that it was appropriate for the Japanese government to maintain its obligation to hold at least one-third of NTT shares.

A task force of the special committee had been discussing a proposal made by a project team of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party last winter that the NTT law be abolished.

Three rival telecom carriers in Japan, including KDDI Corp., have expressed opposition to scrapping the law, insisting that such deregulation could hamper fair competition.

Last month, NTT President Akira Shimada also said that the law could not be abolished at the moment.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]