TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Directorate General of Customs and Excises at the Department of Finance is asking the Department of Trade to improve permit issuance for importers to Indonesia. So far, the importer's permit has been so lax that the potentials of smuggling and state injury grow larger. According Director General of Customs and Excises Anwar Suprijadi, the request refers to the many high-risk- category importers who manipulate the customs services.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Oil and condensate production up to March 2007 has not yet reached the target in the 2007 State Budget of 1.05 million barrels per day. Oil production is only 966,449 barrels per day. Deputy Operation of the Oil and Gas Executing Body (BP Migas), Dody Hidayat, said that a number of operations in the field were still experiencing impediments so the 2007 State Budget production target has not yet been reached.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: US oil and gas company Powder River Basin Gas Corp (PRVB) has offered Indonesia to invest in a retail scale oil exploitation and manufacturing project in Saltdome, Texas, the US. In order to gain ownership rights which takes the form of a working interest, every investor should minimally invest US$10 thousand. PRVB, the project owner, joining with OilPods International, has offered similar bids to Singapore, Malaysia and, being planned, Hong Kong.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Coordinating Minister for the Economy Boediono estimated that the improvement of Indonesian economics will only be restricted to 2008. In 2009, the government and legislative members will focus on political issues instead of economic ones. “In 2009, politics will take over the executive and legislative focus,” he said when opening a coordinating meeting of Domestic Market Protection yesterday (04/03) in Jakarta.

India's Tata Power Company Limited (TPCL) raised many eyebrows here by agreeing to acquire 30 percent stakes in Indonesia's top coal-mining firms -- PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) and PT Arutmin Indonesia -- for US$1.3 billion. The deal is the second biggest purchase in Indonesian corporate history after Phillip Morris's $5.2 billion acquisition of cigarette maker PT HM Sampoerna in 2005.

In the early 1990s, India adopted the "Look East" policy to enhance its engagement with the dynamic East and Southeast Asian regions. After 15 years, Indians are not only looking at Southeast Asia, but are actually coming to the region in a big way. The entire world is currently captivated by India, thanks to its booming economy and billion-plus population, with 300 million people in the affluent middle class alone.

Monday, April 02, 2007 DAVID SCHRIEBER DO EXECUTIVES REALLY WANT FEEDBACK? © Duncan Graham 2007 Memo: All managers: "Do not copy US management texts. Write your own. Put advice in the context of Indonesian case studies. Local solutions can only come out of local cases." David Schrieber, consultant.

Newmont may re-evaluate Indonesian investment if exec found guilty in Buyat Bay gold trial Newmont Mining, as well as other overseas mining companies, may need to evaluate future Indonesian investment risks should Newmont executive, Richard Ness be found guilty in Buyat Bay pollution case. Author: Steve James Posted: Saturday, 31 Mar 2007 NEW YORK (Reuters)- Gold miner Newmont Mining Corp.