When the government launched the regional autonomy policy in 2001, the reaction in Bali was positive and hopeful. With many Balinese seeing their island as Jakarta's cash cow, it was hoped that regional autonomy would stop the central government's heavy control of the resort island's income. Before regional autonomy, Indonesia's natural resources, regional strengths and decision making were all in the hands of bureaucrats in Jakarta.

Out of the tunnel and into the light, the government appears confident that 2007 will see higher growth resulting from the revival of real sector and the maintenance of the country's hard-earned macroeconomic stability. A new policy package to promote the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Coordinating Minister for the Economy Boediono said Tuesday, would be among the efforts to drum up growth in the real sector -- which has been lagging behind recent macroeconomic improvements.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The bio-fuel development program has begun to gain the attention of the banking sector. Several banks in Indonesia have started to get involved in financing bio-fuel businesses. One of the largest banks in Indonesia, Bank Mandiri, signed an agreement of cooperation to provide loans amounting to US$432 million or Rp3.9 trillion yesterday (9/1) to support bio-fuel projects.

Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - PT Indomal Usahasama, a joint venture between Indonesian and Malaysian investors, says it plans to build a US$1 billion Palm Oil Center on the island of Mangole in North Maluku. The center will include oil palm plantations, crude palm oil (CPO) processing plants, and palm oil-based bio-diesel plants, said Indomal president Chairul Anhar.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Crude palm oil price in 2007 will likely rise on account of a high demand for the commodity in the world market when all the while its production capacity is not on par with the demand, an official said. The possible high demand for CPO this year may come from India and China as well as European countries, Indonesian Oil Palm Businessmen Association (GAPKI) executive chairman Derom Bangun said here Tuesday.

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan The government will issue a new regulation allowing state-owned insurance provider PT Jamsostek to invest a part of its assets in the construction of housing for low-income workers and in labor intensive small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Last year, we finally witnessed the second Indonesia infrastructure conference being held in November, after being postponed several times. However, it is still too early to tell whether the projects put on the table during the summit will progress rapidly or end up like those from the first infrastructure conference (which only saw a handful proceeding to the construction phase). At stake are several key expressways -- projects that are badly needed by the economy.

Indonesia is laying the foundations to become one of the world's top biofuel producers in the coming years, with 59 energy firms and institutions inking 58 agreements Tuesday as their preliminary commitments to investing US$12.4 billion in the renewable energy sector.

Carnage!! It closes down 70 points, Total value loss 4%.

The nice thing about the JSX is you can almost bet your house that tomorrow will be a nice rally, so it's a great day to BUY, BUY BUY, especially PGAS

BLACK WEDNESDAY!!! I'm down about 10 million rupiah so far as the afternoon session opens. Here's a translated article. Rabu, 10 Januari 2007 13:01:19 StockWatch (Jakarta) - The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) was down sharply in the first session today (10/1) near level 1,700 at 1,712.494 due to panic selling following decline in the Southeast Asian markets.

State oil company Pertamina is seeking overseas partners to join it in $18 billion of projects aimed at raising production and fuel refining, Pertamina president director Ari Soemarno said. Pertamina, which is expected to have earned a record Rp23 trillion, or $2.5 billion, in 2006, aims to double crude output to 300,000 barrels a day within four years and modernize four of its biggest refineries, the International Herald Tribune reported.

The government will soon issue a regulation on the licensing of nuclear reactors, paving the way for the construction of a nuclear power plant by 2010, an official said. "The State Secretariat has verbally informed us of the regulation and will soon issue it," head of the Nuclear Energy Control Board (Bapeten) Sukarman Aminjoyo said on Friday (5/1/07). The regulation will give the green light for the construction of a nuclear power plant at Mount Muria in Central Java in 2010, he said.

Media company Sun Business Network (SBN), which reached an agreement to buy Maestro Mind International last month, has struck a new deal to purchase the holding company which owns 95% of PT Monstermob Indonesia, a leading mobile media service provider in Indonesia, Singapore’s Business Times reported on Friday (5/1/07). SBN's wholly owned subsidiary G-Mobile will now pay a conditional $4.96 million for 84.2% of Maestro Mind, the company said in a statement Thursday.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso has approved the acquisition of tap water operator PT Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) by Singaporean consortium Acuatico Ltd. after the committee assessing the acquisition process approved the takeover, The Jakarta Post reported.

Most Indonesian consumers are optimistic about 2007, with the further improvement of key economic indicators continuing to brighten prospects for jobs and personal finances, a survey revealed. The survey by AC Nielsen found that 68% of Indonesians have a good perception of where their personal finances will head over the next 12 months, while 9% say they believe their financial status will be excellent in 2007, The Jakarta Post reported.

Official data issued Tuesday (2/1/07) indicated an increase in imports of raw material and capital goods, usually a sign that manufacturing industries are gearing up for higher production, Reuters reported. The country's trade surplus narrowed to $3.06 billion in November from $4.23 billion in October. Imports rose 31% to $5.86 billion on the back of an 18% on-month increase in raw material imports and a 94% on-month surge in capital goods imports.

Exports grew 2.3% to a record high of $8.92 billion in November, according to data from the Central Statistics Bureau (BPS), while an increase in imports of raw material and capital goods indicated optimism among manufacturing industry. While the country's trade surplus narrowed to $3.06 billion in November from $4.23 billion in October, there was an 18% on-month increase in raw material imports and a 94% on-month surge in capital goods imports.

A Chinese oil firm signed an agreement to develop a 5.5-billion-dollar bio-fuel project in Indonesia where conservationists have expressed concern over the threat to one of the world's largest remaining areas of pristine rain forest. State-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) signed the agreement with PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (SMART) and Hong Kong Energy (Holdings) Ltd.

[Balibob] it's really quietened down in the last year though [Balibob] but it's more (or was) liberal than most small cities [Balibob] not so many bules now [Polar Bear] Why fewer bules BB? [Balibob] well Unocal as U know sold out to Chevron last year [Balibob] and Unocal had many Bules in Balik [Balibob] after Chevron moved in the nationiles many jobs and sent the Yanks back to where they belong,..