Indonesia's crude oil output is officially put at 1.4 million barrels per day but a steady output decline in marginal fields and security problems have strained production in the past year. Takenaka said he would suggest the government examine the feasibility of issuing government bonds convertible with state-held shares such as those of NTT and Japan Tobacco Inc., Kyodo News agency said. Takenaka's raised the prospect as the state faces a pressing need for more funds to stave off further deterioration of the economy, while the outstanding balance of government bonds has been snowballing, Kyodo said. The outstanding balance is expected to reach some 390 trillion yen by the end of next March, it said. The Japanese government has been selling its share holding in NTT since 1986, but still owns a 45.96 percent stake in the former domestic telecom monopoly.
Software piracy is a serious issue in Malaysia.
Microsoft is scheduled to launch the operating system here Thursday. Wai Choon warned software pirates harmed both consumers and the Malaysian economy. IT graduates any employment opportunities in a thriving industry, he said. According to watchdog Business Software Alliance, the software piracy rate in Malaysia in 2000 stood at 66 percent, meaning about six to seven out of 10 business software purchases are pirated software. It said in Malaysia, the industry lost an estimated 363.3 million ringgit.