Sungailiat, Bangka (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government has declared ten regions in the country top tourist destionations in a move to boost the national tourism industry. "The policy to declare ten regions top tourist destinations will hopefully encourage each of the regions to improve their performance in developing their respective tourism potentials," Wibowo, a deputy drector general at the Culture and Tourism Ministry, said here at the weekend.

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 10/18/2008 4:00 PM | Business Business owners in Batam free trade zone have threatened to put their operations on halt if the local state power firm insisted on imposing an increase of 14.8 percent in electricity tariffs. Batam Employers Advocacy Team member Abdullah Gosse said Saturday that business owners in the city would make Batam “dark” for three days.

Editorial: Tourism Minister's Wacik's Pollyannaish Reaction to the Current Economic Crisis is Ripe with Danger for Indonesia's Tourism Industry. (10/18/2008) Stock markets around the globe have lost trillions in value. Credit lines have dried up threatening the very life's blood of daily commerce around the world. Greying populations watch fearfully as their pension plans evaporate and the asset value of their homes plummet.

Friday, 17 October, 2008 | 23:51 WIB TEMPO Interactive, Bandung:Limited educational facilities is the main impediment to producing more oil experts in Indonesia. "ITB can only take in few students due to lack of facilities," said Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) rector Djoko Santoso, after signing an MoU on educational assistance with Total Indonesia at ITB campus in Bandung last Wednesday.

Friday, 17 October, 2008 | 23:57 WIB TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Maluku government hopes the central government will support post-conflict rehabilitation and reconciliation by developing the infrastructure and energy in the region to attract investors in the tourism and fishery sectors. Maluku governor Karel Albert Ralahalu said road construction and airport development in the regency is important so as to draw investors. Moreover, electricity supply in Maluku is still inadequate.