There will be few major investments in Indonesia’s mining sector until the government clarifies uncertainties in the recently passed mining bill, industry analysts and companies said on Monday. “Whether we like it or not, the mining bill has been passed. It’s too early right now for us not to give the new bill a chance to develop because it is still evolving from our perspective,” said Omar S. Anwar, president director of Rio Tinto’s Indonesian operations.

PITT MEADOWS, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 22, 2008) - Tranzeo Wireless Technologies Inc. (TSX:TZT), a premier manufacturer of wireless broadband and WiMAX communication systems, has signed an agreement to jointly develop WiMAX subscriber units for the Indonesian market with PT. Teknologi Riset Global (TRG), a subsidiary of the Indonesian Tower Group, a leading telecommunication infrastructure provider in Indonesia.

Alfian, The Jakarta Post, Bandung State oil and gas company PT Pertamina plans to spend around Rp 11 trillion (US$1 billion) on upgrading its upstream facilities as part of an effort to boost output, the company's upstream director, Karen Agustiawan, says. The company expects to see a 7 percent rise in oil output next year to 171,250 barrels of oil per day (bopd) up from an estimated 159,000 bopd in the previous year.

The government may request increased royalty payments from mining companies by reviewing their current contracts following the enactment of an amended mining law, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Purnomo Yusgiantoro says. Purnomo told reporters Monday the government planned to raise state income from the mining sector by examining the extent to which contracts contributed to the country's overall welfare. "We must evaluate contract by contract.

Alfian and Adianto Simamora, Jakarta, The Jakarta Post Indonesia and China signed deals Monday covering cooperation on eight energy and mining projects worth a total of around Rp 35 trillion (US$3.13 billion). The cooperation agreements were signed during the third Indonesia-China Energy forum (ICEF), which was attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla and China's visiting Deputy Prime Minister Li Keqiang. "This is in the interest of the two countries.

The Lampung provincial administration is building an integrated biofuel school in Central Lampung regency as part of its plan to become a national bioenergy center. Construction of the special school in Sulusuban village, Central Lampung, is expected to cost Rp 216 billion (US$19.6 million), funded by the central government (50 percent), province (30 percent) and regency (20 percent). Construction work commenced in the middle of the year and is scheduled for completion in 2017.

Since mid-November, Haliman, 50, has been busily engaged in cultivating Polyscias Fruticosa, better known as Ming Aralia, an evergreen shrub native to India and Polynesia, at the Sei Temiang flower nursery in Batam, Riau Islands. "Based on initial studies, the climate and soil conditions in Batam are suitable for Ming Aralia," Haliman told The Jakarta Post recently.