Japan absorbs the largest non-oil and gas exports from Indonesia in the first three months of this year, according to the Indonesian Statistics Bureau. The bureau reported that Indonesia's exports to Japan totaled US$2.4 billion in the period of January through March, or 12.3 percent of Indonesia's total exports of $19.6 billion.

The government is inviting the private sector to invest in the development of urban gas infrastructure projects, saying that the government has a limited budget to develop the projects. "We are inviting private investors to invest in the projects, because the government budget is from the state budget and is very limited," Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Thursday during a seminar about urban gas projects.

Aditya Suharmoko, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia can use the global economic downturn as momentum to gain world recognition as its economy keeps on expanding while others are tumbling down, the finance ministry says. "The chance [of our economy] expanding more than 4 percent is very likely," Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in an interview Thursday.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Taiwan`s investment in Indonesia until 2008 reached US$13.837 billion and the amount is still to increase in line with the country`s economic development. Director of Economic Division of Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) Bennet Wen-bin Chen said here on Wednesday Taiwan`s investment in Indonesia was the eighth biggest after other big countries investing in the country. "Taiwan`s investment in Indonesia this year will probably continue to rise," he said.

JAKARTA, May 27 (Reuters) - Indonesia's container volumes for exports for January-May fell an estimated 10-12 percent from a year ago, while imports dropped 30 percent, an official said on Wednesday, as the economy shows signs of a turnaround. Earlier this year government officials had warned of a sharp drop in exports of as much as 30 percent.

The government proposes to the House of Representatives to allocate Rp 1.55 trillion (US$150.52 million) for biofuel subsidies in 2010, but lawmakers are concerned the needed regulation is not finished. The director general for oil and gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Evita H. Legowo told lawmakers Wednesday that the government proposed to double the subsidy up to Rp 2,000 (19.37 US cents) for every liter of subsidized fuel mixed with biofuel, up from Rp 1,000 a liter previously.

JAKARTA (AFP) - Indonesia aims to more than double its crude palm oil output to 40 million tonnes by 2020 through increased yields and more plantations, officials said Wednesday. Average oil palm plantation yields would increase from 3.5 tonnes to 4.5 tonnes a hectare while land under plantation would expand from 7.9 million hectares (19.5 million acres) to about 10 million, they said.

The government program to blend bioethanol and biodiesel with subsidized fossil fuels has floundered on lack of preparation and falling biofuel prices and won’t meet its target production level before at least 2011, an official said. The biofuels industry, complaining that prices are insufficient to cover production costs, suspended sales to PT Pertamina in February.

On the heels of the recent announcement of a controversial tax on palm oil exports from the Trade Ministry comes another plan. This time, Fahmi Idris, head of the Industry Ministry, is proposing that the government implement a domestic market obligation (DMO) on crude palm oil producers to force them to sell a portion of their products locally.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Jakarta International Container Terminal launched its new facilities on Wednesday (27/5) worth around US 30 million. The Indonesia's largest container facility in North Jakarta operates new container loading equipments, new control tower and technology, and expanded its storage field. Director of Jakarta International Container Terminal Derek Person said the expansion has improved the terminals productivity by 60 percent.

Fill Excel’s Palapa Ring