Which is in stark contrast to a message that was passed onto me from an American Multinationals CFO within Indonesia! "We will require a review of all outstanding contractual obligations in foreign currency due to the current dollar strengthening. Apparently, Mid East currencies are also now under pressure." If it wears a dish-dash, do not trust it!

At least 25 US companies have expressed interest in expanding business and shifting investment to Indonesia in an effort to secure capital from the impact of the global financial turmoil, Industry Minister Fahmi Idris said Wednesday, Xinhua reported. The companies intend to put their investments in a country which is not being seriously affected by the global financial crisis, Idris told reporters after a meeting with a business delegation.

Capital Investment Group, an investment company from the United Arab Emirates, will spend at least $1 billion in direct investment and share purchases in Indonesia, a company official said, Investor Daily reported. "We are interested in the energy, infrastructure and property sectors," chief executive of Al Borouge Securities, representing Capital Investment, Husam Salman Al Ameri said on Wednesday.

Investment grew 10.9% from January to August compared to the same period last year at $47.55 billion, Antara reported. The chairman of the Capital Investment Coordinating Board, M. Lutfi, said on Monday that foreign investment growth in the period reached 42% from $31.33 billion in 2007. Investment in the manufacturing sector, Lutfi said, was still quite good in the past six months with 25 projects worth $84 million realized despite slowing demand.

The government had reduced its export growth target for next year to below 11.9% because of slower demand from Japan, the US and Europe, Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported. The three regions account for about a third of Indonesia's export sales, she said. This year's estimated 12.5% growth would already be the slowest growth in Indonesia's exports in five years, Bloomberg data shows.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati called on the private sector on Thursday to stay alert to problems emerging from dollar loans as the rupiah weakened in line with regional currencies. “As I have said before, with this adjustment we have to be careful and alert. The business world has to watch revenue and look for steps to survive,” she said outside a meeting at the House of Representatives, Media Indonesia reported.

The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs is accelerating work on the government’s latest package of reforms, grouped within Presidential Instruction No. 5 (Inpres 5), as a response to the global financial crisis. Dr. Raksaka Mahi, the ministry’s expert on the investment climate, has been tasked with leading a program to explain the program to stakeholders and regional governments to underline the importance of the reform process.

JAKARTA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia planned to introduce fiscal stimulus for business, including subsidies and tax cuts in a bid to boost economy and purchasing power, a paper said here Monday. The weakening of global commodity prices and high interest rate had hampered Indonesian businessmen from expanding their business.

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam The Batam, Bintan and Karimun (BBK) Special Economic Zone Commission has ensured speedy licensing procedures free from illegal levies in a bid to attract foreign investors impacted by the global financial crisis, given lower local production costs compared to other countries in the region, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and China.