Starting June 1, consumers across Suriname are facing higher costs for multiple types of cooking gas, following an official announcement made Sunday by N.V. EnergieBedrijven Suriname (EBS). The price adjustment applies to 28-pound steel cylinders and a range of composite gas cylinders, and forms the latest step in the government’s planned gradual elimination of long-standing cooking gas subsidies.
This incremental subsidy phase-out is rooted in a national energy transition policy approved back in August 2023 by Suriname’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation, alongside the Ministry of Natural Resources. The overarching goal of the policy is to gradually align cooking gas prices with their actual market value, phasing out the decades of government subsidies that have kept consumer costs artificially low for years.
Under the new price schedule that took effect June 1, the cost of a 28-pound gas cylinder has risen from SRD 472.50 to SRD 504.00. This will not be the final increase for this product: one last 31.50 SRD price hike is scheduled for September 1, 2026, after which the cylinder will reach its government-mandated final market price.
Multiple composite cylinders are also seeing upward price adjustments this round. The 10-kilogram composite cylinder has moved from SRD 404.25 to SRD 420.00; the 14-kilogram variant has increased from SRD 493.50 to SRD 525.00; and the 22-kilogram composite cylinder now costs SRD 924.00, up from the previous SRD 892.50. Additionally, the 100-pound cylinder has seen a small 9.93 SRD increase, bringing its new price to SRD 1,847.43.
Not all cooking gas products are affected by this latest round of changes. The 20-pound and 40-pound cylinders will retain their current prices of SRD 387.50 and SRD 735.00 respectively, as both have already reached the final end price set by the government as part of the transition plan.
With the June 1 price adjustment, three product lines — the 100-pound cylinder, 10-kilogram composite cylinder, and 22-kilogram composite cylinder — have now hit their final market pricing. Only two categories, the 28-pound steel cylinder and 14-kilogram composite cylinder, will see one additional incremental increase this coming September.
Oversight of compliance with the new price caps falls to Suriname’s Price Control Department. The agency has reminded consumers that anyone who observes retailers charging prices above the officially mandated rates can file a report directly with the department for investigation.