A coalition of non-governmental organizations has said it will seek a judicial review if the House of Representatives passes the investment bill on Thursday. After nearly a year of deliberation, the House is set to pass into law the bill, which aims to improve the country's investment climate by providing equal treatment for local and foreign investors, along with other incentives.

Recent statements made by high-ranking Indonesian officials suggest that the Indonesian economy may not grow as briskly as expected. A deeper analysis, however, suggests that the country's growth momentum remains intact. In its assessment of economic conditions in 2006, the central bank has stated that the quality of economic growth is deteriorating.

The local arm of Royal Dutch Shell Plc. opened a new gas station in Jakarta on Wednesday, which should further intensify the competition in the country's retail gasoline industry. The new Shell Indonesia station, located on Jl. Yos Soedarso in North Jakarta, is its seventh outlet in the country. The previous six, all opened last year, are located in Lippo Karawaci, S. Parman and Kyai Tapa in West Jakarta, Letjen Suprapto in Central Jakarta and Mampang Prapatan and Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta.

Japan, Indonesia's largest donor country, has agreed to provide Jakarta with US$847.2 million in soft loans to help finance nine infrastructure and social projects in the country. The terms of the loans vary among the nine projects, with annual interest rates ranging from 0.4 to 1.5 percent and repayment periods of between 30 and 40 years, including a 10-year grace period.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Internet kiosk, or Warnet entrepreneurs have objected to continue the computer legalization agreement with Microsoft. The “Microsoft software rental agreement” (MSRA) has been going on for a year. Rudi Rusdiah, Head of the Telematics Community Warnet Entrepreneurs Association, said that MSRA does not provide value added for Warnet entrepreneurs. This is because, after signing the agreement, a lot of Warnets disappeared. “The benefits are almost none.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: It is certain that the legalization of Draft Bill on General Provisions and Guidelines of Taxes (Draft Bill on Taxes) into law will be delayed. “The Draft Bill on Taxes cannot be completed in March. It will be prepared once again after May recession,” said Vera Febyanthy, Deputy Head of Special Committee of Working Committee of Taxes Draft Bill at the Parliamentary complex yesterday (03/29).

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government is targeting that the regulation on national ship empowerment will be completed in June 2007. The regulation is aimed at backing up Presidential Instruction Number 5/2005 on the empowerment of National Shipping Industry which was been enacted two years ago.