Removing policy bottlenecks is key to boosting investment and stimulating economic growth, economics ministers said at the opening of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s National Summit on Thursday. Kicking off the summit, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said his administration was hoping to reach a target of Rp 2,100 trillion ($218 billion) in new investment every year, amounting to Rp 10,500 trillion to be pumped into the economy by 2014.

It took two days and more than 1,500 people to make a wish list for the next 100 days and five years of government. Those are the bald figures that describe the first-ever National Summit, which ended on Friday evening with promises from the administration that each of the hundreds of ideas put forward to help drive Indonesia forward would be considered.

Indonesians will have to wait at least three more years before they see the massive Trans Java Toll Road project fully operational, because only around 24 percent of the land for the 650 kilometers of road needed for the project has been freed up. The Jakarta Globe talked to Wijaya Seta, the chief of the land acquisitions department at the Public Works Ministry, about the problems facing the government in acquiring land for infrastructure projects.

JAKARTA -(Dow Jones)- Legal certainty is vital to Indonesia's goal of supporting economic growth by improving its investment climate, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told reporters Friday, following the controversial arrest of two of the corruption-ridden southeast Asian nation's top antigraft officials. "There must be legal certainty. This is vital for creating a [conducive] investment climate," Mulyani said.

Indonesia's furniture exports may plunge by about 40 percent by the end of 2009, the Indonesian Craft and Furniture Producers Association (Asmindo) said Friday. Asmindo chairman Ambar Tjahyono said the global economic crisis had drastically reduced overseas demand for furniture from Indonesia. "During the first half of this year, our exports dropped more than 50 percent. After July, foreign furniture demand increased slightly," Ambar told The Jakarta Post.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:To accelerate infrastructure development, the government will soon issue a government regulation to replace a law (Perpu) on land clearance. “I propose that be completed in 100 days,” said Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat at the National Summit yesterday. Hidayat said everyone generally agreed with the regulation. It will serve as a legal umbrella for public infrastructure projects. “The private sector should." IQBAL MUHTAROM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has stated that Indonesia needs investment of Rp2.1 trillion per year to reach the 7percent economic growth target by 2014. The single source of capital has been always relying on the state budget while unfortunately it can only cover 10 to 15 percent of government spending. Because of this, the President has suggested participation from the private sector both domestically abroad.