President Simons returns from the UN General Assembly with pledges for investment and forest conservation.

Happy Monday!

This week, we focus on President Simons’ UN visit to New York. Suriname receives investment for the conservation of its rainforest, which covers 93% of the country.

President Simons emphasized the reform of the UN Security Council and presented Suriname as a model for peaceful diversity.

• President Jennifer Simons emphasised the need for UN reform, focusing on the Security Council veto and expanding membership of the Council to represent more countries like Brazil, India, and Africa.

• She highlighted Suriname’s commitment to peaceful dialogue, condemning military aggression, and supporting the end of the embargo of Cuba.

• Suriname was presented as a model of peaceful multicultural diversity, with a focus on climate action, highlighting its vast forest coverage and its role as a carbon sink. She called on major polluters for concrete climate responsibility and financial support.

• Simons emphasized priorities such as economic diversification, energy security, education, and healthcare, while also celebrating Suriname’s upcoming malaria-free status.

• She expressed support for strengthening CARICOM and international cooperation, ending with a call to replace violence with dialogue and promote sustainable, peaceful living.

International Meetings

• Simons also met with several global leaders, including:

  • Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. Their meeting focused on carbon-negative economies.

  • As well as Caribbean leaders, such as Barbados’ PM Mia Mottley and investors, who expressed interest in Suriname and support for its development path.

50 Years of Independence in Suriname (Srefidensi)

• Suriname and the Netherlands want to continue to repair the relationship between the two countries, as Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof confirmed he will attend the 50th Independence Day celebrations around November 25 in Suriname.

• Dutch King Willem-Alexander has also stated that he will visit Suriname in December, shortly after the anniversary.

President Simons received pledges of at least US$20 million to support Suriname’s conservation of its forest.

• An international coalition of conservation groups praised President Jennifer Simons for her leadership in forest conservation.

• Organizations including Rainforest Trust, Re:wild, and others pledged at least US$20 million to support Suriname’s efforts.

• They applauded Suriname’s goal to:

  • Adopt the Sustainable Nature Management Act in 2025

  • Maintain at least 90% forest cover

• The coalition will: help establish and manage new protected areas; support ecotourism and green jobs; and uphold Indigenous and tribal rights

• Suriname is seen as a potential global model for combining vision, governance, and international cooperation in sustainable development.

Nearly four containers of powdered milk worth about SRD 17 million have disappeared from Melkcentrale.

• Minister Mike Noersalim appointed a new Board of Commissioners (RvC) led by Monché Atompai to investigate, and they have to report within one week.

• Over three weeks ago, an inventory worker was questioned by police but released the same day, and employees say he’s not involved.

• Workers went on strike in protest, but resumed work with reduced hours after intervention by the DNA (De Nationale Assemblee) committee.

• The RvC worked to get employees back to full shifts and has started investigating the disappearance.

• Other RvC members are Ritesh Bissumbhar, Franklin Misiekaba, Larissa Bardan, and Soemjatie Somohardjo.

In further economic news, inflation is 10.8% year on year, and the economic board warns that the country’s budget deficit is too high.

• Suriname’s Economic Oversight Board (SEOB) warns that the country’s ongoing budget deficit is a key driver of inflation and currency pressure, despite improvements in some macroeconomic indicators.

• While a law now prohibits the Central Bank from directly financing government spending—a positive step—SEOB stresses that without sound fiscal policy, monetary tools alone won't stabilize the economy.

• The deficit affects the economy through four channels: increasing the money supply, pressuring the exchange rate, creating uncertainty, and raising long-term debt. This fuels a vicious cycle of inflation, currency depreciation, and rising imports, as people lose trust in the Surinamese dollar.

• To escape this cycle, SEOB urges economic diversification to strengthen public revenues, reduce dependence on natural resources, and boost exports—key steps toward long-term economic stability and lower inflation.

• In 2025, inflation rose to 10% by July, driven mainly by higher government spending and private-sector credit growth—partly due to post-election effects.

• Monthly inflation (Aug 2025 vs July): +1.0% while Annual inflation (Aug 2025 vs Aug 2024) increased by 10.8%

• The highest increases came from High increases in:

  • Healthcare: +7.3% monthly, +37.4% yearly

  • Housing & utilities: +1.4% monthly, +17.9% yearly

  • Eating out: +2.4% monthly, +8.1% yearly

• Food & non-alcoholic drinks: +1.7% monthly, +5.4% yearly

• Inflation measurements are based on 630 locations and 316 items, but exclude remote, high-cost regions

• Individual product prices show extreme variability, from –66% to +459% over the past two years.