TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Health Department will curb foreign health care services, both doctors and clinics, which operate in Indonesia. “We have been receiving reports, but we will see if it is true that some operate without permits,” said the Director General of Medical Service from the Health Department Farid W . Husain, last Saturday. The Health Department, said Farid, give permission to foreign doctors to work in Indonesia as long as they follow the procedures.

'Next year, 2010, will be very important for Indonesia. Peaceful general elections and successful navigation through the global financial crisis have raised expectations that Indonesia can become one of the strongest performing emerging markets. But it is not just a question of how strongly Indonesia will rebound from the crisis and how high will be its rate of growth in 2010.

The outlook for Indonesia continues to be positive, as it looks likely to maintain its growth momentum supported by healthy domestic consumption, accelerating investment as well as improving shipments and external situation. Consumption, a key pillar of the economy, remains buoyant and sentiment continues to be strong. Also, exports are starting to pick up as foreign demand shows further signs of improvement. Inflationary pressures are also strengthening.

It has been widely accepted that recently economic power has been gradually shifting toward East Asia. The global economic crisis has only quickened this process. It began with the excesses at the centers of international finance, namely the US and Europe. East Asia has been more resilient to impacts of this crisis. Therefore, this region has been able to overcome the crisis sooner.

Laurensius Tirta Widjaja, the marketing director of PT Indomarco Prismatama (Indomaret) recently talked with The Jakarta Post’s Kornelius Purba about the prospects of and problems facing retail business for next year. The following is an excerpt of the interview: Question: What is your outlook for your retail business for 2010? Answer: We feel optimistic for 2010. Why? In 2009 our business growth was almost 28 percent. We are projecting a higher growth next year that we are confident about.

It is impossible to chart the economic outlook for 2010 without factoring the Bank Century debacle into the equation. The nationwide controversy over the Nov. 21, 2008, bank bailout is not simply a temporary distraction, as several analysts say, insofar as the economic prospects for next year are concerned.

The financial crisis of 2008 has had an extensive impact on the global economy, including Indonesia’s. What are our chances of weathering the fallout and emerging unscathed from the crisis? The following are excerpts from an interview between The Jakarta Post’s Apriadi Gunawan and North Sumatra University School of Economics dean Jhon Tafbu Ritonga, in Medan recently. Question : On the global economic map, where is Indonesia? Answer : Indonesia’s 2008 GDP indicates that we rank 19th.

European industrial buyers have begun extending compulsory green certification from wood-based products to palm oil, as evidenced by the bold decision last week by Unilever, the world’s largest industrial consumer of crude palm oil (CPO), to cancel new contracts with Indonesia’s largest producer, the Sinar Mas group.

Indonesia’s burgeoning personal computer (PC) market - divided between desktops and notebooks including the increasingly popular netbooks - will continue to see hefty growth next year, setting off even fiercer competition among top players.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Like it or not, the Bank Century case has disturbed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s second-term government especially in carrying out its first 100-day program, and this will likely continue to cost a lot of energy and thoughts even after the end of this year.

The amount of new office space built in Jakarta’s central business district this year fell 12 percent from 2008 but is expected to rebound next year, according to a report from property consultant Cushman & Wakefield. Demand is also expected to rise in line with the economic recovery, as banking and finance companies look to re-enter the market after a sluggish 2009, according to the report, which was released last week.