Indonesia plans to introduce a slew of changes to address problems in its infrastructure, logistics, electricity and labour sectors in order to attract more investment and create jobs, said Trade Minister Mari Pangestu. One such measure would be to develop the existing free zones in Bintan, Batam and Karimum and establish new special economic zones throughout the country.

TEMPO Interactive, Makassar: The Real Estate Indonesia (REI) has issued the good news that in 2010, Jakarta entrepreneurs will invest in and develop several strategic housings in Makassar .“Investment and property development in Jakarta and Java has reached a saturation point.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:It will take a lot of hard work to offset the foreign workers invasion as a result of the ASEAN – China free trade era which begins in January 2010, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar, said in Jakarta yesterday. Hence, his office will upgrade the capacity of workers in Indonesia. According to Muhaimin, the free trade pact will automatically allow foreign companies investing in Indonesia to choose foreign workers. Dianing Sari

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Investments in the property sector next year may be rising as a result of stable economic condition and low interest rates. “Compared to 2009, investments may be up by 10 percent,” Cushman Wakefield analyst, Andi Susanto Loe, said Jakarta yesterday. The property sector is seen to be offering competitive benefits with rather stable profits. “There are no distressed assets,” Andi added. The highest profit of nine to 12 percent comes from the retail sector.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has concluded cooperation agreements with 58 other countries to avoid losses from transfer pricing, a Finance Ministry official said. "We have cooperation agreements with 58 countries to prevent losses from transfer pricing," Djoko Slamet Surjoputro, director of counseling services and public relations at the finance ministry`s directorate general of taxation, said on Wednesday.

Sustainable Oil Palm plantation conference meets in Jakarta on 21-22 Jan 2010 to offer clarity on sustainable palm oil plantations and pinpoint opportunities & challenges of investing in Indonesia's oil palm sector. (PRWEB) December 16, 2009 -- The Sustainable Oil Palm plantation conference, which meets in Jakarta on 21-22 Jan 2010, will provide a window of opportunity for the Oil Palm industry to seek clarity on managing a sustainable oil palm business.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government is likely to liberalize the import of around 8,000 commodities from other ASEAN member states in January 2010 as a follow-up to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a Finance Ministry official said. "In total there will be around 8,000 types of commodities," the head of the ministry`s fiscal policy board, Anggito Abimanyu, said here on Wednesday. Some of the commodities were currently subject to 5 percent and 2.5 percent duties, he said.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - BNI economist Tony Prasetyantono said it is difficult for Indonesia to compete with imported Chinese products as the result of the Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN and China. "It is difficult to seek a win-win solution from the agreement, a win-lose solution appears to be more likely, because our products are much like Chinese-made products," he said after giving an explanation on Indonesia`s fourth quarter economic performance in Jakarta Wednesday.

Four ministries and the Investment Coordinating Board on Wednesday signed a joint regulation aimed at slashing the time needed to license a new business from 60 days to just 17. Vice President Boediono said the new policy was designed to raise the country’s ranking in the annual “Doing Business” survey by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation. “Indonesia has been left far behind by other countries in the region in the time it takes to issue business licenses,” he said.