oh it looks so good on paper .... Lets hope the red tape men don't stand in the way. Tourism is the best way this country can ensure at least some re-distribution of wealth. Open things up, encourage the "eco-tourists" and backpackers and get them buying loads of tat in remote parts of Indonesia.

"100 years of the nation's awakening" - ahhh! Yawn ! nyum nyum!Rp.150,000 please. Thankyou very much Mr. - Now what's for fuckin' breakfast?

Over Development Threatening Bali's Subterranean Fresh Water Supply. (1/19/2008) Badung Regency and Denpasar officials have issued a warning that uncontrolled use of wells are resulting in the intrusion of salt water into the Island's precious water table. The Head of the Water Resource and Village Infrastructure Section of the Public Works Department, IGN Sura Adnyana, is blaming Bali's rapid rate of new investment and the unmonitored use of wells.

Ministry of Culture and Tourism Seeks Inter-Departmental Support in Order to Achieve 7 Million Foreign Visitors in 2008. (1/19/2008) Travel Trade Gazette's (TTG) Mimi Hudoyo reports that the Indonesian Department of Culture and Tourism is seeking agreement to change current visa regulations to permit visa-free short visits from 10 countries.

If Approved, Jakarta International Passengers will Pay Rp. 150,000 and Domestic Passengers Rp. 45.000 in Departure Tax. (1/19/2008) Angkasa Pura I - the government-owned operating authorities for all Indonesian airports is seeking government approval to increase passenger service charges by 50% for Jakarta, bring charges for international passengers in line with those already in place in Bali.

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta To prevent illegal coal trading due to the introduction of the proposed domestic market obligation (DMO) policy, producers have urged the government to introduce a market-based pricing system. Indonesian Mining Society chairman Herman Afif Kusumo told The Jakarta Post on Monday the implementation of the DMO policy might tempt producers and traders to seek further gains from foreign markets through illegal trade measures such as price fixing.

Hendri Saparini and Binny Buchori, Jakarta So the year 2007 is over, which much praise rained on the President's economic team for their achievements in improving Indonesia's fiscal status. But just how true their claims? The rise in unemployment and the increasing incidence of illness due to malnutrition and poor sanitation indicates that for many people, in particular the poor, economic conditions have worsened.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian rupiah was weaker against the US dollar in midmorning trade Friday on increased fund outflows following recent selloffs in the stock market. At 10:05 am, the rupiah was trading at 9,475/9,480 to the dollar, down 0.4 percent from late Thursday. Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank, has been very active in defending the local currency in the past few days, said Alberami Zulkarnain, an analyst at Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) treasury research.

Government Officials and Head of Bali's Notary Association Warns that Foreign Land Ownership is a Threat to National Security. (1/19/2008) The Indonesia Government is calling on notaries to exercise more caution in the issuance of property deeds of transfer in order to safeguard the nation against threats to its sovereignty, morality and sense of nationalism represented by the growing ownership of land by foreigners in Bali.