State-owned Bank Mandiri, the nation's largest bank in terms of assets, estimates that lending may grow by at least 20 percent next year on the back of rising business confidence and improving security and political conditions.

Jakarta – A number of Japanese investors complained to the Minister of Industry Andung A. Nitimihardja over obstacles in investing in the country, which led to a high cost economy and turned away potential investors.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia is asking the government to carefully consider the timing of its plan to raise domestic fuel prices next year, so as to keep its effect on the country's inflation rate within manageable limits.

Chaidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – On Saturday November 4, more than 5000 workers from the Indonesian Workers Metal Federation (Federasi Buruh Metal Indonesia, FBMI) went on strike demanding that the government of Riau province revise the minimum regional wage level.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – While vowing to lead the fight against corruption, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has declined to suspend corruption suspect Abdullah Puteh immediately, as ordered by the powerful Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Surakarta – Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has enacted several important policies including revoking its order to back the National Awakening Party (PKB) it founded after the downfall of president Soeharto in 1998.

All 40 million members of the nation's largest Muslim organization are now free to support any political party in next elections according to their own wishes.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – A court order meant to protect the livelihoods of 3,000 vendors in the Tanah Abang textile market would actually stop most of them from trading, the market's operator claims.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A close aide of Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said on Friday that the party's regency chapters may not be given the right to vote in the upcoming national congress to avoid possible vote buying.

Surabaya – Nahdlatul Ulama head Hasyim Muzadi has stared down an attack by a rival faction, winning re-election as the chairman of Indonesia's largest Islamic grassroots organisation for another five years.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The death of thousands of fish and clams in waters off Ancol Beach on Tuesday was likely caused by pollution in the city's toxic rivers, the Environmental Management Agency said.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives's defense commission held a hearing with Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto Thursday, the first since the controversy surrounding the replacement of the TNI chief.

Jakarta – The weapon systems belonging to the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) is a cause for concern. Compared with the systems belonging to the armed forces in other South-East Asian countries the TNI's is among the worst, only ahead of Cambodia and Laos.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Despite improving interest rates and a peaceful election year, legal uncertainties remain the main obstacle for Indonesian firms in obtaining business finance, a report from global rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) said.

Jakarta – Despite the prolonged arms embargo imposed by the United States on Indonesia, the militaries of the two countries are attempting to maintain their cooperation.

Sari P. Setiogi and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Indonesian teachers marked the 36th anniversary of their organization on Thursday with a demand for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration to pay more respect to their achievements.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The close alignment between religion and politics has resulted in a decline in tolerance among the adherents of different religious over the past few years, aggravating the problems facing the country.

We are quite apprehensive about the real objective behind the government's plan to grant a tax amnesty.

Jakarta – The Jakarta administration turned a deaf ear to workers' pleas for a revision to the minimum wage for 2005 of Rp 711,843 (US$79) to Rp 759,532, the estimated minimum cost of living in the capital.

Jakarta – The bombing last year of the JW Marriott hotel in Indonesia's capital was inspired by Osama bin Laden, a militant who was convicted in the attack and who claims to have met the Al-Qaeda leader said yesterday."I met Osama frequently in Afghanistan and heard him speak about waging war against America and its allies," said Mohammad Rais, giving testimony in the trial of alleg

Jakarta – Five witnesses testifying in the Abu Bakar Ba'asyir trial said on Thursday that they had met with the cleric either in Malaysia, Afghanistan or Philippines, but ruled out his having a hand in the J.W. Marriot Hotel bombing in August 2003.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – A confessed member of the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network says he personally delivered an invitation from Osama bin Laden to Abu Bakar Bashir offering the militant cleric refuge in Afghanistan.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Around 52 activists have declared the formation of the Volunteers for Democratic Struggle (Relawan Perjuangan Demokrasi, RPD) and say they have decided to join with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). One of them is the former chairperson of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), Budiman Sudjatmiko.

Surakarta/Surabaya – Nahdlatul Ulama head Hasyim Muzadi stared down an attack by a rival faction on Thursday, winning reelection as NU chairman for another five years.

Muhammad Nafik, Surakarta – Paying money to officials or brokers in order to obtain posts in governmental agencies that require a civil service exam is considered a bribe, which is forbidden, or haram, under Islamic law, according to a regulatory commission of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Now that a three-month grace period has expired, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) is set to crack down hard against radio or television stations violating government-dictated broadcasting guidelines.

The KPI issued the guidelines on August 30 and gave the broadcasting stations three months to adjust.

Pekanbaru-RoL – The Minister of Forestry, H. MS Kaban, says that level of illegal logging in Indonesia is resulting in financial losses to the state amounting to 60 trillion rupiah per year

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Legislators implied on Wednesday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held them back in bill deliberations by deferring the issuance of a decree on coordination between the House of Representatives and the government in the lawmaking process.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has sent its third warning letters to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Cabinet members as the December 21 deadline for wealth reports looms.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – The city administration has requested the West Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to release two of its officials following their detention by the prosecutors over their alleged involvement in scams worth Rp 1.4 billion (US$155,555.56).

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A woman produced her identity card and Rp 15,000 (US$1.67), and handed them over to the prison guard at the entrance to the Cipinang penitentiary in East Jakarta.

The identity card she would get back later after seeing her son, but she still had to cough up Rp 15,000 a go at each of the three subsequent gates.

Jakarta – Exports in October jumped by 46 percent from the same period last year, defying earlier concerns that the country was losing its share in the export market due to tougher competition from more efficient economies.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Fourteen police officers have been found guilty of using unnecessary disciplinary methods to restore order during the November 22 protest at Bojong waste treatment facility in Bogor, while two others were declared guilty of violating the Criminal Code, for causing serious injuries to others.

Jakarta – The government aims to boost growth in the country's manufacturing sector – the largest contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) – to an average of 8 percent per year in the next five years, from about 5 percent currently.

Jakarta – A member of the House of Representatives urged on Thursday the Indonesian Military (TNI) to empower Indonesia's weapons-related industries, to relieve its dependency on the United States in procuring weaponry.

Jongker Rumthe, Manado – Seven boozing policemen whose unruly escapades almost caused a riot in Tuminting, Manado, have been thrown into the drunk tank until they are disciplined, the North Sulawesi Police say.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has called for a revision of human rights Law Number 39/1999, to empower it with the right to press state institutions to follow up on the findings of its investigations.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government is drafting a new decree setting out even more onerous rules for foreign scientists conducting research here due to a growing number of "illegal studies", an official says.

James Balowski, Jakarta – For the second time since the murder of renowned Indonesian human rights activist Munir, his family has been threatened – this time with a clear warning not to blame the Indonesian military (TNI) for his death.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Following the death of renowned human rights activist Munir on September 7, non-government organisations have been urging the government to sign the United Nations 1998 Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

Jakarta – Since its grand opening 10 months ago, the management of the TransJakarta Busway has contributed Rp 33.89 billion (US$3.76 million) to the city's coffers, however most of that has already been spent on the salaries and expenses incurred by the city.

Jakarta – Residents in several flood-prone areas across the capital have not yet prepared for potential floods this rainy season, although the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has warned Jakartans that rains would peak within two weeks.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – The public will pay up to 40 percent more for fuel by early next year, as the government insists on raising the price of the commodity in order to lower subsidy costs, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Tuesday.

The government has been facing increasingly higher subsidy costs, which has been soaring due to red-hot global oil prices.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – The country's retail sector is projected to continue enjoying strong sales growth of between 25 percent and 30 percent next year on the back of robust consumer consumption and increased purchasing power of households as economic growth accelerates, according to an industry association.

Delight and relief after the successful elections lifted the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) by 6.2 percent to a 37-month high of 105.8 in October, Danareksa Research Institute (DRI) announced on Tuesday.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Two Malaysian militants testifying in the trial of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir acknowledged on Tuesday that the elderly cleric was the spiritual leader of the regional terrorist group, Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

The government has set itself a target of raising exports of agricultural products to US$9 billion in 2009, or more than double this year's estimate of $3.7 billion, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – Two out of three Indonesian employees say they would move to a different company even if the position, field of work and remuneration were the same as in their current company.

Bandung – At least 3,000 workers in Cimahi regency staged a protest on Tuesday outside the regent's office, demanding that he raise the minimum wage in the regency.

The workers said the minimum wage in Cimahi had to equal the minimum wage in Bandung municipality, as the cost of living in the two regions was the same.

David Isenberg – The four-day Indo Defense Expo 2004 arms show in Jakarta last week turned out to be one of those shindigs where everyone, both buyers and sellers, was a winner. But the future benefit for the people of Indonesia and the Southeast Asian region remains to be seen.

Jakarta – An Indonesian Islamist group said yesterday it was sending volunteers to help Iraq's resistance forces.

The Islamic Defenders' Front opened registration on Friday and its operational chairman, Machsuni Kaloko, said that 300 people had signed up so far.