TOKYO, July 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan has decided to introduce teleworking for national public servants as early as fiscal 2005 that starts next April, and begin testing this fiscal year the new system of using information technology to enable them to work at home or at satellite offices nearby.

    Government ministries and agencies are now selecting jobs for teleworking under the guidelines of the National Personnel Authority and the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, the ministry said in a preliminary report released Thursday.

    The scheme is in line with the government's e-Japan initiative that aims at boosting the proportion of teleworkers in Japan to 10percent of all working people by 2005 from some 6 percent in 2002,the ministry said.

    The government defines a teleworker as someone using telecommunications for more than 8 hours a week while working without time or office constraints.

    The guidelines call for managerial officials to understand the operations and working hours of teleworkers, issue business instructions to them and ensure information security.

    Teleworking at home or satellite offices by utilizing computersand telecommunications equipment is expected to allow workers to save time and energy in commuting, and allow them to spend more time with their families and relatives.

    But local critics complain that teleworking could easily lead to overtime work and create the difficulty of distinguishing it from teleworkers' private lives. Enditem