JAKARTA, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in an annual state of the nation speech on Monday he is optimistic of reaching a target of as much as 7.7 percent GDP growth by 2014. Southeast Asia's largest economy is expected to expand over 6 percent this year, and the solid growth combined with increased political stability is attracting strong foreign capital inflows to its bonds and stock market .JKSE.

Indonesia. Indonesia will see its dependence on imported steel fall and its exports rise with the completion of a new state-run steel mill in 2014, a Krakatau Steel official has said. The government-owned Krakatau has formalized a $6 billion joint venture with South Korea’s Pohang Iron and Steel, known as Posco, to build a steel mill in Cilegon, Banten.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:A South-African based energy company, Sasol Synfuels International, has not decided whether to invest in Indonesia, said the Oil and Natural Gas director-general, Evita Legowo, who is also the Liquid Coal Development Team chief, yesterday. The government and Sasol initially intended to look into liquid coal development in Indonesia. Liquid coal was to be used as vehicle fuel, replacing oil fuel.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government has brought up plans to introduce new rate for land rate in the mining sector from a little bit above five cents to US$2, in the legislation of a new bill at the Finance Department.

Kendari, SE Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - South East Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam has told nickel mining investors to contribute US $1.5 to the regional government on every ton of nickel ore they export. "Investors may extract our mineral resources but they must not forget their responsibility to contribute funds for the improvement of the Southeast Sulawesi people`s welfare," Governor Nur Alam said in Kendari Friday.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government should immediately find a solution to or a way-out of traffic congestion because it is now hampering investment, particularly in goods distribution, a chamber official said. "Investors are suffering big losses due to delays in transportation of their goods to or from ports," chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for communications affairs Chris Kanter said here.

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - China ranked third after Australia and Japan as a source country of foreign tourists visiting Bali in the first half of 2010 with 98,258 tourists, up slightly from 97,930 a year earlier. All but one Chinese tourist in the first semester came to Bali by direct flights from their country, Head of the Bali Provincial Statistics Office Ida Komang Wisnu said on Saturday.