President Jennifer Simons of Suriname received a comprehensive update on the progress of the GranMorgu oil project in Block 58 during a meeting with a delegation from TotalEnergies and Staatsolie on Tuesday. The delegation, led by Javier Rielo, Senior Vice President Americas for Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies, alongside Staatsolie Director Annand Jagesar, confirmed that the project is proceeding on schedule and within budget, with 23% of the work already completed. Jagesar highlighted the project’s adherence to its timeline and the ‘very positive developments’ in local content involvement, noting that two Surinamese ports and several local companies are actively participating in the preparatory work. He also pointed out that Surinamese businesses are currently ahead of their counterparts in Guyana in terms of engagement. President Simons emphasized the importance of leveraging the oil sector as a catalyst for broader national development, urging proactive planning to meet the anticipated demands for food, services, and logistics from the oil industry. She stressed the need for sectors like agriculture and tourism to benefit from the outset. Jagesar echoed this sentiment, calling for immediate policy measures to strengthen agriculture and vocational training, highlighting that only 7% of the workforce holds a higher education degree—a figure significantly lower than in developed economies. He cited initiatives by the Foundation for Labor Mobilization & Development to train youth and individuals from disadvantaged neighborhoods as welders for local content roles as an example of necessary workforce development.