On June 26, Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons officially inaugurated the country’s new National Development Platform, a cross-sector initiative tasked with drafting a consensus-driven long-term development roadmap that will guide national policy across successive governments from 2030 through 2050. Led by chair Karel Eckhorst, the platform has been given a 12-month timeline to deliver its final integrated plan.
The inauguration ceremony was held at the President’s Cabinet, with high-level attendees including Vice President Gregory Rusland, Minister of Finance and Planning Adelien Wijnerman, and Cabinet Chief of Staff Sergio Akiemboto. Bringing together stakeholders from across Suriname’s public and private spheres, the platform includes representatives from government, the business community, labor unions, political parties, and civil society organizations, reflecting its mandate to build a broadly shared vision for the nation’s future.
In an official statement released via the Communication Service of Suriname, President Simons emphasized that the platform’s core task is to engage all segments of Surinamese society in shaping a collective development direction. “The goal is to assess what broad social consensus exists around the path Suriname should take for long-term growth,” the head of state noted. She stressed that the resulting plan will consolidate diverse perspectives and insights into a unified framework that successive administrations can implement consistently, regardless of political changes.
Simons highlighted that Suriname is currently in a critical transitional period, as projected new revenues from the emerging oil and gas sector bring significant opportunities as well as notable risks. “We will soon receive new financial resources from oil and gas, but if we do not deploy those resources correctly, they carry major risks that we cannot ignore,” she underscored.
Eckhorst, the newly appointed platform chair, echoed Simons’ observations, noting that Suriname stands on the cusp of transformative change as it prepares to join the ranks of global oil-producing nations. He emphasized that any future energy revenues must be deployed strategically to advance sustainable, inclusive development that benefits all Surinamese people.
“Our development plan cannot be made for society – it must be made with society,” Eckhorst said. “At its core, development is about lifting up the entire community, and every effort must align with a single shared national vision.”
Rekha Bissumbhar, chair of the Suriname Business Association (VSB) and a member of the platform’s core steering group, emphasized that advancing Suriname’s development is a shared responsibility across government, business, and civil society. She added that meaningful progress depends on moving beyond planning to consistent, timely execution.
“Success is not found in drafting the plan itself – it is found in implementing it,” Bissumbhar stressed. “We need to see tangible results within the next year, followed by accelerated progress in subsequent years.”
The platform’s core steering group includes Eckhorst, Akiemboto representing the President’s Cabinet, Bissumbhar for VSB, Reynold Simons from the Suriname Trade Union Council, Danny Lachman from the Suriname Planning Bureau, and Lothar Boksteen from the Confederation of Civil Service Organizations. President Simons also confirmed that the Association of Surinamese Economists (VES) was invited to join the platform but chose to remain an independent external stakeholder. In addition, Akiemboto will carry out his work for the platform on an unpaid basis.
Full membership of the platform spans representation across all major political and institutional groups, including officials from the Vice President’s Cabinet, multiple political parties, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Association of Surinamese Manufacturers, among other stakeholders.