The Indonesian Government is setting up a public private partnership (PPP) to build three toll roads, estimated to be about IDR9.4 trillion ($780.2m), in an effort to boost connectivity and economic growth.

The three projects include a 39km Manado-Bitung road in North Sulawesi, a 37.6km road in Malang-Pandaan in East Java and a 15.8km Medan-Binjai road in North Sumatra, reports The Jakarta Post.

Tender process will be initiated in 2014 in order to begin construction the following year.

"The Manado-Bitung toll road will play an important role."

Public Works Ministry’s Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) head Abdul Gani Ghazali said: "The Manado-Bitung toll road will play an important role to help support the planned Bitung Port and Bitung Economic Zone in the future."

The Malang-Pandaan road is expected to boost the growing trade between Surabaya and Malang and improve connectivity in East Java.

The construction of the three toll road projects is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Since the second half of this year, the ministry has been acquiring land along the Malang-Pandaan and Manado-Bitung corridors for the projects and the acquisitions are 10.28% and 44.05% are complete respectively, the publication added.

Earlier, the government announced its plans to increase the total toll road network to 5,405km.

The 20.9km Solo-Kertosono stretch linking Central with East Java and the 12km Nusa Dua-Ngurah Rai-Benoa road in Bali used PPP arrangements.