Realized investment into Indonesia will drop to 9 percent this year, from the previous estimate of between 10.7 percent and 11.2 percent on the back of global economic slow down, the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) says. BKPM head M. Lutfi said Saturday based on April's investment data, Indonesia was now feeling the pinch of the global crisis in terms of realized investment. "We thought we could survive (the crisis).

Aditya Suharmoko, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia's economy is estimated to pick up in the second quarter next year as exports start to move up after diminishing this year, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). "Export demand will be a major driver (for the economic pickup). But our recommendation is all Asia should try to rebalance exports and domestic demand," ADB managing director general Rajat M. Nag said in an interview Saturday. Rajat forecast Indonesia's economy to drop to 3.

The manufacturing industry contracted in the first quarter of 2009 as firms cut output amid slower economic growth. Output of the manufacturing industry - which absorbs the second most jobs after agriculture - declined in the first three-month period of 2009 by 1.61 percent from the fourth quarter of last year, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported on Friday.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is preparing a series of incentives to lure investors into fuel refinery construction, including scrapping import tariffs for equipment, an official says. Director general for oil and gas at the ministry, Evita H. Legowo, said a team from the ministry was now discussing attractive incentives. "The government has previously created incentives and reduced tariffs based on Finance Ministry regulation. But investors are still not interested.

Djodi Trisusanto, Consultant A survey done by Jones Lang LaSalle in 2008 infers that Jakarta is the least attractive city in the Asia Pacific region, with average annual rentals per square meters of about US$100, compared to US$1400 in Singapore. The lower rental performance also occurs in the retail, residential and hotel sectors in Jakarta.

Nusa Dua (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s state-owned oil company Pertamina is targeting 88 percent in investment growth until 2012 which is equal to Rp41.2 trillion. "Sixty-six percent is expected to be put in the upstream sector while 33 in the downstream and two percent in other sectors. Why because the upstream sector is Pertamina`s future," the company`s deputy president director, Omar S Anwar, said to ANTARA on the sidleines of the 42nd meeting of the Asian Development Bank here on Saturday.

The nation’s exports increased in March on a monthly basis after falling for seven consecutive months, as a decrease in manufacturing shipments was offset by an uptick in commodities. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS), in a press briefing on Friday, said the country’s total exports rose 20.64 percent to $8.54 billion in March from $7.08 billion in February, which was the lowest level since August 2005.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Investments in Indonesia recorded at US$ 1.57 billion (Rp 14.11 trillion) during April 2009. Around US$ 1.4 billion (Rp 12.6 trillion) of the amount were foreign investments and US 170 million (Rp 1.51 trillion) was from local investors. Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board informed the figures on Friday (2/5) in the opening day of a three-day conference of the Asian Development Bank in Bali.