JAKARTA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia's tough new environment law, passed last month and aimed at any firm with an effect on the environment, may take as long as two years to implement, a senior government official said on Friday.

A new Trade Ministry regulation issued on Friday will allow alcoholic-beverage makers to supply their products directly to retailers without having to go through distributors, a move that the government hopes will help reduce costs for producers.

Mining industry representatives said on Friday they were confused by a recently issued regulation restricting the work contractors were allowed to perform for mining concessionaires, saying it failed to clearly explain what contractors could and could not do.

TEMPO Interactive, Batam: Companies in Batam need thousands of workers as the area including Batam, Bintan, and Karimun has been named as a free trade zone.Former Chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) for the Riau Islands, Abidin Hasibuan, said yesterday (15/10) that currently...