The nation’s largest petrochemical firm Chandra Asri will set aside US$100 million to build the first butadiene factory in the country through its subsidiary Petrokimia Butadiene Indonesia (PBI), the company said in a statement. In Monday’s statement, PBI director Suhat Miyarso said the factory will be built on 40,000 square meters of land in Cilegon, Banten, and expects to produce 100,000 tons of butadiene a year.

VIVAnews - G-Resources Group Limited claims that new gold mineralization zone is found in Martabe, South Tapanuli, North Sumatra. The Hong Kong-based gold company is on drilling examination at the spot. The field known as either Horas or South Barani is only located three kilometers off the Martabe gold mining project. G-Resources also shares ownership of the mining through its subsidiary PT Agincourt Resource.

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - The government will prioritize development of Sunda Strait bridge rather than the Malacca Strait, Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa said here on Tuesday. Hatta said the government wanted to construct the Sunda Strait bridge first in its effort to build the Sumatra-Java region into a development center for the national interest.

Jakarta. In its continuing efforts to boost infrastructure development, the government is offering three projects on Java Island to foreign and domestic investors at a total combined investment value of around $4 billion. “I think we can offer the projects by the first half of 2011 so we can start building the projects by the end of 2011,” Gita Wirjawan, chief of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), said on Monday.

VIVAnews - The National Economic Committee (KEN) releases an outlook on the 2010 Indonesian economy. The Indonesian government is seen as capable of stabilizing the economy despite the flat outcome. The committee stated that Indonesia has been an outstanding spot for investment after the global economic downturn between 2008 and 2009. "The Indonesia Stock Exchange suddenly drew the interest of international investors to put their money in," reported KEN today, Dec 20.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Corruption in Indonesia continues to be rampant because the corruption eradication strategy was ineffective and the government as well as law enforcers were often inconsistent, a legislator said. "Corrupt practices have even been on the rise, while the state has declared a war and mobilized its `war machine` called the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)," Bambang Soesatyo, a member of parliament from the Golkar faction, said here Monday.

Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA News) - The South Tangerang city administration estimated that the construction of the Serpong-Bandara Soekarno Hatta monorail project may be completed in three year`s time. "Three years for the building of the monorail project is quite long but flexible," head of the South Tangerang Transportation, Communications and Information Agency Agus Mulyadi said here Monday.

TEMPO Interactive, Riau:The construction of a 135-kilometer-long toll road connecting Pekanbaru and Dumai has once again been delayed due to a lack of interest from investors, said Ramli Walid, Riau’s regional development planning agency chief. “The central government has made the offer, but there are no investors yet,” said Ramli in Pekanbaru last weekend.

TEMPO Interactive, Mataram:The Coordinating Economic Ministry has confirmed it will allocate an additional Rp76 billion to cover the completion of Lombok International Airport, Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa told reporters in Mataram at the weekend. According to Hatta, the Lombok Airport will benefit West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), especially when Indonesia plays a greater role in ASEAN, which schedules 800 meetings.

TEMPO Interactive, DUMAI:Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said the government will designate areas to be made special economic zones by March next year. While he did not mention the areas in detail, Hatta confirmed that Riau was included on the list. Many areas are competing to be made special zones as the government will provide the stimulus and various incentives needed to attract investment in those areas.