JAKARTA - Indonesia has raised the foreign ownership limit on certain sectors, such as agriculture and health care, in a bid to lure investments, according to a presidential decree. The decree said the government will allow foreigners to hold up to a 49% stake in individual companies in the staple food plantation industry. Previously, only domestic investors have been allowed to enter this area.

Indonesia may become the major production base of athlete's shoes worldwide. VIVAnews - Chief of the Capital Investment Coordinating Agency (BKPM) Gita Wirjawan said a number of foreign companies will move their production base to Indonesia. Gita said several representatives of the foreign investors have discussed the possibility with the government. "They're weighing the chance to move to Indonesia," said Gita in the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy office yesterday, June 8.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Mozambique plan to increase cooperation in trade and investment, and in the process help each other expand economic ties in the regions they each belong to.

Banyuwangi, East Java (ANTARA News) - Malaysian food producing company PT Adabi became interested in producing seaweed being cultivated by fishermen in Wongsorejo aubdistrict, Banyuwangi regency, E Java. "PT Adabi planned to produce seaweed into raw material of its food industry," head of the farmers empowerment division of the Banyuwangi Marine and Fisheries Agency Suryono Bintang Samudra said Wednesday.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government has declared certain lines of business closed to investment under Presidential Ruling No 36 of 2010 as of May 25, 2010, Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said here on Wednesday. In agriculture, closed to investment is raising marijuana, while in forestry it is the fishing of fish mentioned in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna dan Flora (CITES), and taking coral reefs for use as building material.

Surabaya, West Java (ANTARA News) - The competitiveness of Indonesian workers ranked the 35th among 58 countries surveyed by International Management Development (IMD) in 2010. "Indonesia`s ranking was still below Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand," Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said in Surabaya Wednesday.

In a bid to attract more foreign investment, the government announced on Wednesday that it has opened the door to a range of sectors a little bit wider. Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa said the president had signed a decree revising the negative investment list (DNI), easing restrictions on foreign investment in sectors such as construction, health care and electricity generation. “This decision will give foreigners more assurance about investing in Indonesia,” Hatta said.