give an "off-the-record" interview to one of our journalists, and they can quote an "informed source in the Indonesian oil industry"!

I know some other stories about why developments are being delayed, production is down and other monkey business but, I must, unfortunately say fuck all at the moment......

JAKARTA - Foreign investment is suddenly picking up in Indonesia, an indication that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's pro-business policies are finally starting to pay economic dividends in spite of the recent nationalistic and anti-foreign economic regulations passed by Parliament.

The government is pinning its hopes on the development of 14 new oil fields so as to meet next year's oil production target of 1.034 million barrels per day, slightly higher than this year's estimate of 1 million bpd, an official says.

Altimo, a subsidiary of Russia's Alfa Group, will not back down on its investment plans for Indonesia despite allegations of a commercially motivated smear campaign levied by a number of civil society groups, a company official said.

In addition to a Rp 1.4 trillion (around US$149 million) allocation to subsidize the interest on loans taken out by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the government also plans to streamline the requirements for borrowing from state SME financing institutions.

From the Economist Intelligence Unit ViewsWireWhy is Indonesia attracting investors?Foreign investment in Indonesia has risen sharply, but there are renewed concerns about the country's investor-friendliness following the release in June of revised foreign ownership limits.

Published: August 28 2007 18:01 | Last updated: August 28 2007 18:01The signing last week by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia’s president, of regulations creating a special trade zone covering the is­land of Batam and enclaves on nearby Bintan and Karimun marked the realisation of a...