Linking 17,000 Islands in Indonesia tests a nation on the rise

With projects falling flat and debt payments looming, political candidates and Indonesia’s 200 million voters are increasingly splintering over whether the country has built too much too quickly. - AFP

JAKARTA: The key to unlocking the potential of the world’s largest archipelago is connecting more than 17,000 islands in South-east Asia with an extensive network of airports, trains and toll roads.

That was the grand vision of Indonesian President Joko Widodo when he took office a decade ago, earmarking almost US$800 billion for an infrastructure-building push that’s dwarfed the outlay of far bigger economies.