Manila (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - The Asian Development Bank will assist Indonesia in implementing vital reforms to develop its infrastructure and boost economic growth. The Manila-based multilateral lender is to help the country improve its policies, laws and institutions to lure large scale private sector infrastructure investment.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Property brokers expressed concern over the unfair competition here on Friday and called on the government to immediately improve the situation. "We wish the government would immediately issue a certification regulation which applies to property brokers in the country," secretary general of the Association of Indonesian Property Brokers, Dharmadi Darmawangsa, said.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Bank Indonesia (BI) is optimistic that the rupiah exchange rate will improve and be stable next year at the level of between 9,000 and 9,200 per US dollar. “The rupiah will be stable at this range. BI is comfortable enough with this level and the confidence to take hold of the rupiah will be stronger,” said Senior Deputy Governor of BI Miranda Goeltom yesterday (11/23).

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government has decreased import duty of Malaysian automotive products. The duty of a completely built up (CBU) car is decreased from 20 percent to five percent. However, the government did not decrease completely knock-down (KCD) car. It remains 0 percent.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The blackout in the Java and Bali electrical systems which has been happening in shifts possibly will continue due to the explosion of a gas pipe belonging to PT Pertamina under the mud dike on the southern side of Porong-Gempol, Sidoarjo, East Java toll road. The gas that is channeled by the pipeline came from Santos and EMP Kangean’s fields with a total volume of between 130 million and 140 million cubic feet.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide US$428 million in loans to support Indonesia in its efforts to implement the critical reforms needed to develop its infrastructure and spur economic growth. The agreement for the provision of the support funds was signed Thursday by ADB country director Edgar A. Cua and the Finance Ministry's director general for debt management, Rahmat Waluyanto.

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s tea exports earn US$110 million in foreign exchange annually and contribute Rp1.2 trillion to the gross domestic product (GDP). "Indonesia is the world's fifth biggest exporting country of tea. The country exports at least 98,000 tons of tea annually," Joko Santosa of the National Plantation`s Tea and Quinine Research Center said here on Friday.

they're dreaming. nobody is going to seriously invest in Aceh until the problems there are well and truly sorted out, in particular large capital projects.

Are they going to eliminate the practise of Sharia law first? I mean Aceh is hardly Oil Rich Saudi where it is possible to put up with Sharia Law due to the high returns....

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Bank Indonesia (BI) has estimated that the inflation rate by the end of the year will be under six percent, which is better than the target of seven plus minus one percent. “It can be under six percent if inflation in November and December of this year follows the historical pattern,” said Senior Deputy Governor of BI Miranda S. Goeltom yesterday (11/22) in Jakarta during the 2007 Economic Outlook presentation.

Banda Aceh, NAD (ANTARA News) - The Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) has started preparing an Investor Outreach Office (IOO) in a bid to facilitate foreign investors to come to Aceh, a spokesman said. Said Faisal, BRR`s deputy for Economic Affairs, when observing the IOO here on Thursday said it was high time to plan and create a sustainable conducive investment climate for the future of Aceh.