Despite Rising Fuel Costs, Domestic Tourism Expected to Grow 15% in 2008. (7/5/2008) Bisnis Indonesia predicts that domestic tourism totals to Bali will grow by 15% in 2008, in part due to the unprecedented surge of local tourist coming to the Island during the current school holiday period.

good to see that the bali constabulary have got their priorities straight.

Bali Police Chief Wants a List of Illegal Villas Offered for Rent on the Internet. (7/5/2008) Bali's Chief of Police Inspector General Ashikin Husein has issued orders to his subordinates to undertake a complete review of the number illegal villas, including those in Bali's more remote regions.

(7/5/2008) This year's Indonesia's annual travel mart Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) or Pasar Wisata Indonesia returns to Makassar, South Sulawesi. The only oficial Indonesian-wide tourism and travel mart will be held on October 14-17, 2008 at the Celebes Convention Center (CCC). Now entering its 14th year, TIME is organized by the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (ITPB) and supported by all tourism components in Indonesia.

Published: July 3 2008 01:48 | Last updated: July 3 2008 01:48 Bayan Resources on Wednesday highlighted the interest investors are taking in Indonesia, the world’s largest thermal coal exporter, when it announced plans to raise up to $695m by floating 25 per cent of its shares on the country’s stock exchange next month.

The government is ready to renegotiate all mining contracts in response to the developing in society, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said. "We are ready to renegotiate the mining work contracts again and adjust them to the dynamics developing in society," the ministers told a parliamentary hearing here on Thursday. The minister was holding a working meeting with the House Commission VII which deals with energy affairs.

The Trade Ministry is in talks with the country's crude palm oil (CPO) producers over a revision to the current policy for the commodity's export duty. "There are several options being discussed, including whether it will be set to the level of the range of the increase (of the duty) from time to time or on the price indicator," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said Friday. The export duty on CPO is set every month.

The government and the House of Representatives have agreed to reduce tax on companies' dividend payments despite disagreements between House factions on the size of the cut. Melchias Markus Mekeng, head of the House's committee overseeing the income tax bill currently under deliberation, said Wednesday the two largest factions at the House -- the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Golkar Party factions -- wanted the tax cut to 5 percent.

Industry players say a government plan to regulate company operating hours will lower their productivity and hurt workers relying on overtime payments. Hasanuddin Rachman, deputy chairman of Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said Friday the plan would only create new problems for many business people.

Novia D. Rulistia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A survey of Asia-Pacific countries carried out on the Internet reveals 77 percent of the respondents believe Indonesia is in a recession, despite first-quarter economic growth. Catherine Eddy, executive director of PT ACNielson Indonesia, the company that carried out the survey, said Friday rising fuel and food prices were the main cause for the gloomy outlooks.