Foreign investment in Batam up 56%

Foreign investment inflows to Indonesia's industrialized island of Batam last year jumped 56 percent to US$288.52 million from US$184.99 million a year earlier, a report said. In 2007, the government licensed 79 new foreign investment projects worth US$288.52 million and 4 foreign expansion projects worth US$10.33 million, bringing the total foreign investment on the island to US$298.86 million, the Batam Authority said in a statement on Friday. The foreign investment came among others from Singapore, Australia, Britain, Malaysia, Ireland, the Netherlands, British Virgin Island, Caymand Island, Switzerland, China, South Korea, Germany, Japan, India, the United States, Taiwan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. (http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/1/11/foreign-investment-in-batam-up-56/)