Editorial, The Jakarta Post The government is risking piling big mistakes on top of huge errors, all at the expense of the basic foundation of the economy, by stubbornly refusing to bring domestic fuel prices closer to international market levels. Maintaining current fuel prices far below their economic costs will only prompt more export smuggling and misuse by industrial users.

Aditya Suharmoko and Novia D.Rulistia The flow of goods to and from Tanjung Priok port has been further disrupted due to worsening road conditions and a scarcity of trailers, Director General of Customs and Excise Anwar Suprijadi said Thursday. Up to 60 percent of import-export activities in the country go through Tanjung Priok port, government records said. Anwar said delivery time and operational costs for companies had been adversely affected.

New investment in the mining sector is likely to grow at a slow pace this year as investors wait for the enactment of a new mining bill being deliberated at the House of Representatives. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's director general of coal, mineral and geothermal Simon Sembiring said on Thursday investment was estimated to grow by 2.5 percent this year, to US$1.38 billion from $1.35 billion.

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched a "cassava unit" on Thursday to prop up the country's cassava production in response to a growing demand for bio-ethanol supply. The unit, an official of the chamber said, should increase cassava production from current 10 tons per hectare to 30 tons per hectare through a land extensification and intensification program.

government body in charge of recruitment ..... that should be fun when the Australians get the first load delivered. destined to fail!

Surabaya (ANTARA News) - A giant Container Crane (CC) worth 5.5 million US dollars ordered by PT Terminal Petikemas Surabaya (TPS) from Argentine, has left Batam Port for Surabaya`s Tanjung Perak port. "The giant CC left Batam yesterday (Feb 27), and scheduled to arrive in Tanjung Perak on March 8," spokesman for PT TPS Iwan Sabatini said here on Thursday. To boost its cargo handling capacity, PT TPS will have this new CC estimated at 5.5 million US dollars ordered from Argentine.

Brisbane (ANTARA News) - Indonesian manpower authorities plan to send up to 500 skilled and semi-skilled workers to Australia this year to be employed in the construction, mining, nursing, education and fruit plantation sectors, an Indonesian consulate official said.