17/7/06 JAKARTA (Reuters) - The world's largest instant noodle maker, PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk , plans to merge its five units in the palm oil industry business into a sixth unit to increase efficiency, one of the subsidiaries involved in the merger said on Monday.

Indofood will merge the five units with PT Salim Ivomas Pratama, which will become the surviving company in this merger, Salim Ivomas said in a statement, without giving financial details.

"They (companies) are supporting each other in its business and a merger will become an alternative to achieve a more efficient, effective and productive management," Salim Ivomas said.

Indofood, a company with a market capitalisation of $950 million, had said it plans to eventually offer a stake in its edible oils and fats business through an initial public offering.

Edible oils and fats contributed around 16 percent of its 18.8 trillion rupiah ($2.05 billion) net sales last year.

Indonesia's Salim family controls Indofood through Hong Kong's First Pacific Ltd. . ($1=9,170 rupiah)