Jakarta is gearing up to host the country's largest ever trade fair, in which more than 960 local businesses and 3,000 potential international buyers will participate, a top official said. The 2007 Indonesian Trade Expo (ITE), scheduled to run from Oct. 23 to 27 at the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, is expected to help boost the country's export industry, which has been projected to grow this year by between 14.5 and 20 percent.

Indonesian migrant workers continue to make major contributions to the country's economy through their remittances home. During the second quarter, migrant workers sent home US$1.5 billion, a 5.4 percent increase from the same period last year, according to Bank Indonesia. The central bank said it expected the full-year figure to reach $4.9 billion.

Indonesian investors are on par with their top regional peers in terms of perception of a better economy ahead, where they can expect higher returns for their investments, a regional survey has revealed. There is also a growing interest among local investors, who usually prefer to invest in the country's property sector, to put their money in the stock markets, the survey from ING Asia Pacific revealed recently.