Manufacturer associations have expressed readiness for implementation of a trade minister regulation on mandatory Indonesian language labeling for non-food and medicine products, which came into effect on Oct. 1. Electronic Producers Association (Gabel) deputy secretary-general Yeane Keet told The Jakarta Post that all members of the association hailed the regulation, saying it would benefit producers, importers and consumers. “The regulation will minimize the spread of illegal products.

Jakarta. Indonesia expects annual investment from Taiwan to double to $2 billion next year, primarily in the textiles, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, the head of the national investment board said on Friday. “We see large interest from Taiwanese investors today,” said Gita Wirjawan, head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). “They have invested $14 billion in the past 10 or 20 years, or slightly less than $1 billion per year. That is too small.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Taiwanese Economy Minister, Yen-Shiang Shih, has said that he feels Indonesia is one of the important investment destination countries in Southeast Asia. Indonesia was judged positive because it has a large domestic market, a low inflation rate, and it is rich in manpower and natural resources. Until last March, Yen-Shiang said, Taiwan’s investment value in Indonesia has reached US$14 trillion.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The result of a survey carried out by Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Trade Confidence Monitor during the second quarter of 2010 has showed that businessmen in Indonesia are very optimistic, and the index is even the third highest after India and United Arab Emirates. The trust index in Indonesia is higher than other Southeast Asian countries.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT First Media Tbk, publicly-listed Internet and pay-TV broadband access provider, said on Friday it has set aside US$75 million to develop high definition-based broadcast (HDTV). "The investment is used to expand the market," First Media President Director Hengkie Liwanto said in a press statement. To date, First Media has an estimated 350,000 subscribers and more than half of them also subscribe to pay-TV broadcast which offers 100 channels.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s imports in August fell 3.21 percent to US$12.22 billion from a month earlier, bringing imports in the first eight months of 2010 to US$87.78 billion, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said. "The decline was caused by non-oil/non-gas imports which fell US$504 million or 4.79 percent. However, oil/gas imports rose US$98.9 million or 4.69 percent," BPS Chairman Rusman Heriawan said here on Friday. Crude oil imports increased US$161.8 million or 27.7 percent.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s manufactured goods exports in the first eight months of 2010 jumped 34.7 percent to US$61.4 billion from a year earlier on the global economic recovery, a minister said. "The global economic recovery has raised demand for our manufactured goods. A surge in the export of our commodities also happened to the agricultural sector, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said here on Friday.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government has set itself a target of US$300 million in the 25th Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) transactions which will be held at the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran on October 13-17, 2010, a minister said. "We hope we can reach the target which is higher than the TEI transactions in 2009 which stood at US$285.4 million," Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said here on Friday.

Govt to continue protecting oil palm development Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government will continue to protect sustainable oil palm plantations and crude palm oil (CPO) industry and support steps to increase exports and to develop various CPO down stream industrial programs, a vice minister said.