TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesia and the Netherlands have agreed to the signing of an MoU in the legal sector. The MoU was signed by Indonesian Justice and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalata and the Netherlands’ Justice Minister E.M.H. Hirsch Ballin in Jakarta yesterday (23/2). “The cooperation is not aimed at making the Indonesian legal system like that of the Netherlands, but we are only taking the essence of it,” said Andi.

TEMPO Interactive, Serang:The Banten Province is targeting Rp10.8 trillion in investments from foreign or national companies. Muhamamd Husni Hasan, Regional Investment Coordinating Board (BKPMD) chairman, said he was convinced that investors’ interest in the province was still high. “The investments in the third quarter last year amounted to 107 projects. Foreign capital investments topped US$423 million and regional investments were Rp1.9 trillion," Husni said in Banten yesterday (23/3).

Japan Mulls Importing More Indonesian Textiles by Dian Ariffahmi Japan is looking to Indonesia to supply more textiles and clothes in an effort to reduce its dependence on Chinese exports, a senior Japanese official said on Monday. “It’s common in this crisis for buyers like us to seek alternative options for supply with lower prices,” Shigeru Takagi of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in Jakarta.

Indonesia is prepared to literally dig its way out of its fiscal problems, aiming to increase production of all its key mining products, including gold, copper and nickel, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro told legislators on Monday. The resource-rich country plans to ramp up gold production by nearly 70 percent, from 58.83 tons in 2008 to 99.34 tons this year, as rising prices boost production and revenue.

Lahendong, North Sulawesi. PT Pertamina’s geothermal subsidiary plans to invest $90 million in geothermal-fired power plants producing 40 megawatts of power in Lahendong, North Sulawesi Province, by 2012, Abadi Poernomo, the president director of PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy, or PGE, said on Friday. Indonesia is estimated to have access to about 40 percent of the world’s potential geothermal energy at 27,510 megawatts.

JAKARTA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Indonesia has issued a regulation to protect its domestic steel industry from illegal steel imports, officials said on Friday, at a time when the government it promoting local goods to drive economic growth. Indonesia's trade policies are attracting close attention amid a global economic slowdown.

When will Indonesia have a globally recognized internet and technology company? This is a difficult question to answer, because our governments have focused mostly on the natural resources sector. Many incentives and initiatives backed by the government are directed to the energy and agriculture industries, while the innovative technology industry is given limited attention.

Aditya Suharmoko, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA The government has accelerated the planned revision of import duties for certain group of products to help protect Indonesia’s real sector from the negative impact of the global economic crisis, the Finance Ministry said in a statement Friday.