JAKARTA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Indonesian consumer confidence slipped in September, on concerns over rises in key prices including toll road fees and electricity tariffs, a central bank survey showed on Thursday. Indonesia's toll roads tariffs were raised by about 18 percent late last month and analysts have warned that along with planned increases in other prices such as electricity inflationary pressures would build next year.

ST. LOUIS -- Coal company Peabody Energy Corp. said Thursday that it opened an Indonesian office to take advantage of coal sourcing opportunities and expand its presence in the marketplace. "The Pacific markets are driving global demand for coal and are expected to achieve 5 to 10 percent compound annual growth over the next five or more years," Chairman and CEO Gregory Boyce said in a statement.

The recent rapid rise of the rupiah against the US dollar has drawn a mixed bag of responses from industrial players, but most of them agreed that currency stability was of paramount concern. Hidayat Triseputro, the executive director of the Indonesian Iron and Steel Industry Association, said the rupiah’s appreciation would not benefit the steel industry because most companies imported raw materials under long-term contracts.

State utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara plans to invest $2.2 billion in an electricity-transmission network in Sumatra, including an underwater link connecting the Sumatra and Java grids for the first time, a company official said on Thursday. The connector will ensure that power from the Sumatra grid can be transferred to Java and Bali when needed, which officials hope will mean fewer power cuts.

Despite the presence of heavyweight investors, many of those attending “Papua Investment Day” at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta on Thursday said they didn’t expect too much to come out of the conference. Among the reasons cited were the lack of infrastructure and tax incentives as well as the chaotic business licensing system in the two easternmost provinces.