📝 President Santokhi shares policy for upcoming year

while improvements announced for JAP airport

De Brief
January 08, 2024

President Chan Santokhi and his team have outlined priorities for the remaining 17 months of his term, focusing on key areas such as land policy, public health, safety, education, infrastructure, and the social program.
Land Policy: Drastic reforms are planned, including new management teams, structures for land inspection and domains, increased information, and transparency.
Food Program and National Housing Program: These high-priority initiatives have already commenced with results pending
Infrastructure: Road funds will come from the Saudi Fund and the IDB, supporting road asphalting and sanding.
Safety: Santokhi emphasizes reforms in the police force, addressing integrity issues and enhancing security.
Public Health: The government aims to improve access to cheap medicines, leveraging agreements with the Indian government. Efforts include addressing equipment issues in medical facilities and preventing brain drain among healthcare professionals.
Education: Priorities include building additional classrooms to address capacity issues, transitioning to market-oriented education, and investing in talent education to align with economic development goals.

The Production Credit Fund (PKF) has received 51 applications totaling over SRD 73 million.
Approved credits amount to SRD 15 million, with SRD 22 million rejected and the remainder under processing.
Entrepreneurs primarily seek credits for the expansion of facilities.
PKF commenced operations on April 28, 2023, receiving an initial SRD 100 million contribution from the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
The fund, managed by the National Development Bank of Suriname, aims to stimulate economic growth by providing production credits in various sectors and districts.
The first loans, up to SRD 2 million with a 5% interest rate for up to 15 years, were provided in August 2023.
Eligible sectors exclude trade, housing, and primary agriculture. These sectors are redirected to NOB or NOFA for credit processing.
Applications have been received not only from Paramaribo but also from other districts.
The PKF promotional program is enhancing accessibility for entrepreneurs across different districts.
The fund contributes to the sustainable development of Suriname by providing financial support to entrepreneurs for realizing projects - more information can be found here.

Vision 2030 program of NV Luchthavenbeheer (the organization managing the airport) aims to install two airbridges at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport in the near future.
Director Vijay Chotkan notes that the Covid pandemic caused significant issues in the aviation sector, requiring catch-up efforts.
Chotkan emphasizes that having an airbridge is now a necessity, enhancing service quality, especially during challenging conditions like the rainy period.
Plans include building an additional terminal, necessitating airport expansion; though improvements have been haulted due to concerns of indigenous people despite the improvements being legally correct.
Chotkan highlights the necessity of airport expansions due to developments in Suriname's oil and gas industry off the coast.