Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla has agreed to a proposal that the severance pay of laid-off workers be paid by state-owned workers` insurance company PT Jamsostek with the understanding that employers increase their premium payments to PT Jamsostek. "A new formula on provision of severance pay is being sought through Law No.3/1992 (on PT Jamsostek).

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government is offering tax incentives for new investment that will be far more attractive than tax holidays. There are 15 specific business sectors as well as nine business sectors in certain regions that will be granted the incentives.

To promote greater integration in the mining industry, a new minerals bill will requires investments in the sector to include the establishment of complete upstream-to-downstream processing plants, an official says. Simon Sembiring, director general for geothermal energy, minerals and coal at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said the bill, which is currently being deliberated in the House of Representatives, would encourage investors to build more smelters and refineries in Indonesia.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government considers that the price increases of fuels for the industrial sector in January 2007 will reduce production competitiveness. Both the steel and textile industries will experience the impact of these fuel price increases. Ansari Bukhari, Director of Metal, Machinery, Textile, and Multifarious Industry at the Department of Industry, said that the role of energy in the cost structure of the steel and textile industries was extremely high.

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Following in the footsteps of Shell and Petronas, Total E&P Indonesie -- the local affiliate of the world's second largest LNG producer, Total SA, is to build five gas stations selling high-quality fuels in Greater Jakarta this year. The overall investment is expected to amount to US$5 million. Corporate communications manager Ananda Idris said that the company was currently arranging all the permits and licenses needed to operate the gas stations.