A new arrangement in the mining bill which limits land for mining use may not spook potential mining investors, as long as the government provides legal certainty for the future of operations, an association says. Indonesian Mining Association (IMA) executive director Priyo Pribadi Soemarno told The Jakarta Post on Monday that investors should not see the arrangement as a problem because it was just an amendment of existing practice restrictions.

The new law on maritime transportation services will make the shipping industry more attractive to investors and creditors by greatly increasing the cargo volume for national freighters and providing a stronger basis for shipping companies to use their ships as collaterals for bank loans.

Kota Kinibalu, Malaysia (ANTARA News) - Indonesia likely overtook Malaysia as the world's top palm oil producer in 2007, due to dramatically increased planting there, Malaysia said Monday. "From preliminary figures in 2007 it looks like Indonesia has already overtaken us in terms of production," Plantation and Commodities Minister Peter Chin was quoted by AFP as telling reporters.