The government looks likely to provide incentives to crude palm oil (CPO) producers to encourage them to supply the domestic market, instead of forcing them to do so by imposing higher export duties. "I think we have all agreed to use incentives, rather than taxing exports, as the primary instrument to encourage the downstream processing of CPO by local industry," the Trade Ministry's director general for research and development, Erwidodo, said Thursday.

TEMPO Interactive, Batam: After a number of investment companies (PMA) removed their factories from Batam, this week another two foreign investors, Singapore’s Pacific and Italy’s Nordek, said that they left the Inti Industrial Estate Bintan Bonded Zone, Bintan Regency. The reason is, according to the Inti Industrial Bintan Zone Manager, Jamin Hidayat, the two companies could not afford the high operational cost any more.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Export performance during January 2007 decreased 12.04 percent compared to December, 2006. The export decline was caused by the fall of oil and gas exports. Indonesia’s exports in January was US$8.35 billion, declined from December 2006’s of US$9.49 billion. The export decrease is especially because of the plummeting of oil and gas exports, which was only US$1.48 billion in January that decreased 20.63 percent to US$1.87 billion.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Department of Industry is preparing some incentive packages to boost the development of the downstream oil palm industry. Tax assessments on exported oil palm that has been widely discussed is still being considered. “The government is prioritizing its long-term strategy to improve the oil palm industry.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Transparency International (TI) Indonesia has stated that it is very easy for foreign and major entrepreneurs to carry out business involving corruption and collusion. As for local, medium and small entrepreneurs, they have started to be conscious about carrying out clean business practice. “The perception index of major and foreign entrepreneurs is poor,” said Todung Mulya Lubis, Head of the TI Indonesia council, Tuesday (27/2).

TEMPO Interactive, Semarang: Indonesia's competitiveness in 2006 improved compared to the previous year's. Last year, Indonesia ranked 50th out of 125 countries. “Previously, Indonesia was only in 69th position out of 107 coutries,” said Syamsul Arief Rivai, Director General of Regional Development Management of the Department of Home Affairs, yesterday (02/28).

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government has terminated its natural gas exports to Singapore and Malaysia in order to meet domestic demand for the commodity, a minister said. Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said here on Thursday that the decision to stop gas exports to the two countries was based on Presidential Regulation No.5/2006, which calls for priorities to be given to domestic demand.