VIVAnews - A US investor, Warren Buffet, is willing to put in investment in Indonesia. Through Build Your Dreams Co Ltd Investor, a China-based manufacturer of batteries and electric cars, he will channel the investment. "The Indonesian vice president is scheduled to meet BYD CEO on October 20 at 3 p.m," said vice presidential spokesperson Yopie Hidayat in China, yesterday. "The status is for the time being under confirmation. Hopefully, he'll be investing in Indonesia," said Yopie.

JAKARTA Oct 18 (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to revamp its land law, which investors hope will speed up the acquisition of land to help build infrastructure ranging from roads to airports. Inadequate infrastructure is seen as a deterrent to attracting foreign direct investment to Southeast Asia's biggest economy, and improvements would bolster long-term finances and improve the chances of an investment grade sovereign rating.

VIVAnews - The prices of crude palm oil and gold in the market are rising quite unexpectedly. Gold is now tagged at US$1,372 per troy ounce, a 30 percent increase within this year. "Analysts predicted that gold prices will be at US$1,450 per troy ounce until the end of 2010," said Indonesian Commodity and Derivatives Exchange CEO, Megian Widjaja.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Managing Director of state-owned power firm PLN, Dahlan Iskan, said that they will have trouble using geothermal energy as electricity, because its domestic price of US$ 9.7 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) is considered very expensive, as it surpasses its selling price to the general public. “Later, if PLN buy geothermal at a price of US$ 9.7 cents, while the selling price could only be US$ 6.7 cents, it will be difficult and expensive.

Palu, C Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The Palu immigration office has launched a hunt for a problematic Indian national identified as Sunil Dut, a spokesman said. Yusus Sadu, head of the Local immigration detention center, said here on Tuesday there was information that Sunil Dut was hiding in Tojo Una-una district in the province.

VIVAnews - Germany-based firm Ferrostaal AG will put in investment in the downstream sector of oil palm industry such as biodiesel and beta-carotene in Sei Mengkei, North Sumatra. Ferrostaal will joint with PT Perkebunan Nusantara III and PT Perkebunan Nusantara IV to develop agriculture-based industrial cluster in Sei Mangkei. "The investment reaches US$100 million to US$150 million," said Director General of Agroindustry at the Ministry of Industry, Benny Wachjudi, in Jakarta today, Oct 15.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s non-oil/non-gas manufacturing industries grew 4.91 percent in the second quarter of this year, exceeding the government-set target of 4.65 percent, a deputy minister said. Deputy Industry Minister Alex Retraubun said here on Monday the growth in the second quarter was higher than that in the first quarter. Besides, the manufacturing industrial growth was also able to boost the gross domestic product to 6.2 percent.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said Japan had pledged to develop Indonesia`s special economic zones in several parts of the country at a cost of 52.9 billion US dollars. "In the first phase, economic corridors will be built in six locations in Indonesia," Minister Rajasa told newsmen here on Monday, after returning from a working visit to Japan last week where he met with Japanese business leaders.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Seven foreign investors have expressed keen interest in building cocoa processing plants in Indonesia following the imposition of duties on cocoa exports as of April 1, 2010. The seven investors are ADM Cocoa and Olam International of Singapore, Guanchong Cocoa of Malaysia, Cargill and Mars of the United States, Armajaro of Britan, and Ferrero of Italy, Director General of Agribusiness at the Industry Ministry Benny Wachjudi said on Monday.

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News/Bernama) - Malaysia and Indonesia should set a joint council based in Europe and the United States to fight negative perceptions and unfounded allegations made against the palm oil industry. The proposal came from former primary industries minister Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik. The ministry is now known as the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry.

China may have to settle for minority stakes and financing deals when it comes to mergers and acquisitions targets in Indonesia’s resources sector, given a reluctance of locals firms such as Bumi Resources to cede control of assets. China’s mining and oil companies, including CNOOC and Chinalco, are scouring the world for takeover targets to secure long-term supply for the world’s fastest growing major economy.