Denpasar (ANTARA News) - Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla has ordered the Culture and Tourism Ministry and tour operators to start using "Beautiful Bali Indonesia" as the symbol of tourism promotion. "Let`s start using "Beautiful Bali Indonesia" as our motto in tourism," the vice president said in a dialog with tour operators here on Thursday. Kalla pointed out that "Truly Asia", used by Malaysia as the symbol of its tourism promotion is very simple and easy to remember.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said here on Thursday she predicted that foreign investment in Indonesia would recover next year following improvement in the country`s investment climate and economic cooperation agreements with various countries. "According to me the improvement in foreign investment is reflected in a World Bank survey on the cost of doing business which shows an improvement.

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla predicted on Thursday Indonesia will overtake Malaysia as the world`s biggest palm oil producer in 2008. "In 2008, our palm oil production should be number one," Kalla said when opening a national seminar on oil palm here. According to him, Indonesia at present is the world`s second palm oil producer after neighboring Malaysia whose land territory is smaller than Indonesia`s.

Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Foreign investors are set to build resort projects with supporting facilities in Lagoi, North Bintan island in the province of Riau Islands worth Rp59.28 trillion (US$6.58 billion). Work will start next year, with the resorts scheduled to be completed in three years, Gunawan Adiwibowo, the director of PT Bintan Resort Corp. said here Wednesday.

The implementation of regional autonomy and the creation of new regions has led to dramatically increased demands for funding on the central government's annual budget, an official says. Since the enactment of the 2001 Regional Autonomy Law, seven new provinces, 114 new regencies and 27 new municipalities have been created, bringing the total number of provinces to 33, regencies to 348 and municipalities to 86.