Jakarta – American businessmen indicated an interest in investing in Indonesia at a meeting here on Tuesday.

Among the 20 members of the US-Indonesian Business Council who met the country's economic ministers were companies like ExxonMobil Indonesia, Motorola and New York Life Insurance.

They were particularly interested in four sectors: energy and power; telecommunications; transportation; and agriculture and fisheries, the Tempo news magazine reported yesterday, quoting Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Rokhmin Dahur.

He also said that the businessmen had asked the government to reduce taxes and to include pro-business elements in implementing the regional autonomy plan.

His remarks came a day before the International Monetary Fund called for a "clear strategy" from the Indonesian government to recover loans worth billions of dollars extended to save the country's banks.