Indonesia faces daunting challenges in push towards manufacturing

Cilegon, Indonesia

AT a factory surrounded by towering steel mills on the west side of Indonesia's Java island, German engineering giant Siemens is ramping up production of steam condensers, turbines and other specialist parts to fit out power stations across the world.

The plant, a small repair shop 30 years ago but now covering the area of six soccer pitches, is a rare manufacturing success that Indonesian President Joko Widodo needs more of, as he tries to spur economic growth in the resource-rich archipelago amid tumbling commodity prices.