💰 Government rolls out social programs

Happy Monday!

Today we're following the government's plan to tackle poverty with their new welfare system; updating the situation regarding last week's protests; the Sabaku Village scandal, and the Kalaykhan scandal.

Updates on the protests

• President Santokhi announced the start of a two-week national dialogue starting Sunday, aimed at listening to political organizations, trade unions, businesses, civil society organizations, associations, protest groups, socially poor neighborhoods, and individual citizens.

• The president wants to find solutions to alleviate the needs of the people and prevent the riots of February 17 from happening again.

• The president acknowledges that the economic situation is causing suffering, but it was important to restore order and peace for the safety of every citizen.

• The social program “Monikarta” will be accelerated, and the first groups will soon have access starting monday.

• The national dialogue aims to understand citizens' needs and gear government policy towards them, and the president urges everyone to be open and respectful towards each other.

• The protest's leader, Stephano “Pakkitow” Biervliet, has been arrested and awaits a verdict to be released.

• Further protests are planned as the demands of the protesters include the release of wrongly detained individuals and the demand for the immediate release of Stephano 'Pakittow' Biervliet.

SRD 950,000 loan at 7% interest for housing

• The Surinamese government has approved a loan of up to SRD 950,000 for people who want to build houses, with an interest rate of 7%.

• The government will prioritize policy attention and funding for education, public health, and safety, and accelerate the implementation of the social program.

• In preparation for the execution of the National Housing Program from 2023, the government has prioritized the issuance of policy statements and orders from 2020 to 2022.

• The first phase of the National Housing Program involves making 400 hectares of land suitable for construction and living for 4,600 housing solutions based on a public-private partnership model.

• The government plans to use a combination of self-construction with a mortgage and government-built housing to address the affordable housing shortage in Suriname.

Registration of welfare starts Monday in Paramaribo

• Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing is fully engaged in the registration process for SRD 1,800 "purchasing power enhancement" program.

• Registration process will physically take place in Paramaribo on Monday at 9:00 am, and national online registration will also start on Monday.

• Households with a net monthly family income of SRD 6,000 or less are eligible for a purchasing power boost of SRD 1,800 per month.

• The payment of the purchasing power boost will take place retroactively from January 2023.

• Registration of families and individuals who want to qualify for the SRD 1,800 purchasing power enhancement for Paramaribo will take place from Monday.

• This comes as a result of the increased cost of living and recent inflation numbers this year of 55.6%.

Voluntary return of several parcels of Sabaku Village

• The presidential commission investigating the status of lands issued in Sabaku Village must provide clarity by February 28.

• The commission has been given an additional month to investigate who has received multiple plots and to request voluntary renunciation of those plots.

• The Public Prosecution Service is conducting its own legality investigation.

• Assembly member Kishan Ramsukul proposed to reverse the purchase of Sabaku Village and to give the people who have received land there a decision at a different location.

• The project was purchased by the State through Staatsolie, the national oil company, and the plots were distributed in record time by the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management to political insiders.

Parliment member Tsang wants clarification of waivers signed by Kalaykhan

• During a budget debate on Tuesday, NDP Assembly member Stephen Tsang brought up three issues regarding 'manager' Ismaël Kalaykhan, who acted as director of the Tax and Customs Administration.

• Tsang submitted two orders, signed by Kalaykhan, regarding a petition for exemption from import duties for a client. The exemption was for the import of goods worth over US $ 9.5 million.

• Tsang also submitted a decision for exemption from import duties of 3 excavators, signed by the same manager, on behalf of the minister, on December 13, 2022, the same day minister Stanley Raghoebarsing was sworn in.

• A letter shows that Kalaykhan ordered the commodity code for cement to be replaced with a code for 'other hydraulic cement', which has apparently brought in a large shipment of cement duty-free.

• Tsang wants to know whether the ad interim ministers are aware of these issues.