Tokyo (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Brazil-Japan Ethanol Co. has begun exploring the business prospects of manufacturing bioethanol in Indonesia and Cambodia. The firm is studying the geography and climate in the two countries with the idea of making bioethanol from sugar cane for supply not only to Japan, but also to China and other markets in Asia. Brazil-Japan Ethanol is a 50-50 joint venture of Brazilian state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, and Japan Alcohol Trading Co.

PT Commonwealth Life hopes to achieve 40 percent growth in sales next year after the introduction Wednesday of three new technology initiatives to improve business efficiency and customer satisfaction, executives say. "We are targeting a minimum increase in premium revenue of 40 percent next year," president director Simon Bennett told a media gathering. The company earned Rp 541.26 billion (around US$59 million) in premium revenue last year.

Downstream oil and gas regulator BPH Migas needs to review the tender mechanism for the distribution of subsidized fuels as the existing setup is unworkable, analysts say. Indonesia Petroleum Association downstream committee member Debut Kamajaya said Wednesday that the regulator's policy of only granting one-year concessions was unrealistic given the high costs that had to be born by firms in providing storage and distribution facilities if they wanted to enter the subsidized fuel market.

Indonesian employees have a high understanding of what they need to do in order to make their companies successful in achieving targets, but they have a low commitment to helping them succeed, according to a survey. The survey, by consultancy firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide, shows that Indonesian employees scored 78 percent in the "line of sight" category, which is defined as their knowledge of what to do in order to make the company successful, but only 53 percent in their commitment to doing so.

New Delhi (ANTARA News) - A leading Indian edible oil refiner, Jhunjhunwala Vanaspati Ltd, said on Wednesday that it will spend up to 1.5 billion rupees ($38 million) to buy 20,000 hectares of oil palm plantations in Indonesia. "We are looking at either virgin or developed plantations in Indonesia. We may also consider other countries, including Malaysia," company director S.N. Jhunjhunwala said in a statement.