It stands to reason there is more than 1 Minister importing this equipmwnt for his own company, the 1 we all know about is the world famous Minister of Welfare. SO I would expect high powered Indonesians will import equipment this year with most companies havinga new exploration budget to spend so it would make since that there may be more than a grain of truth in this article..........

 Originally Posted By: Dilli I better research this one more fully! indeed, you better. i would not entirely trust the word of a JP journalist. and just because the regulation will be "issued" in January, does not mean it will be "implemented" in January. indonesian bureaucrats typically require a few years for changes to be "socialised", despite anything the minister or even the president may say.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched Friday Indonesia on the Move, a compilation of his articles and speeches depicting a "true picture" of Indonesia. Yudhoyono said the book could be used to tell the global community about Indonesia. "We have often been judged by perceptions, instead of reality ... and that is not fair," he said. "I agreed that my articles and speeches could be published as a book because I want Indonesia to be better understood by the world," he said.

The government has issued a regulation to restrict the expansion of modern retailers including supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores, which have been widely criticized for edging out traditional retailers. During an impromptu encounter with reporters Friday, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu confirmed that the President had already signed the regulation and that it had taken effect beginning Thursday.

A regulation exempting oil and gas operators from paying import duties and other taxes on drilling equipment will issue in January, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said here Friday. Speaking at the year-end meeting of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the finance minister said the regulation would be effective immediately upon issuance and would free oil and gas operators from paying any tax when importing drilling rigs and similar equipment.