PARAMARIBO, Suriname – July 14 – Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Police Harish Monorath has announced full backing for a targeted proposal designed to expand the enforcement capabilities of the Korps Politie Suriname (KPS), the country’s national police force, in a major push to cut traffic violations and improve public road safety. The initiative, which centers on training and deploying dedicated traffic enforcement officers to step up monitoring of road rule compliance, was formally presented to the minister by the Traffic Enforcement Commission, a body chaired by Joanne Kasno-Adraai, director of Suriname’s National Road Safety Institute (VVI).
Members of the commission laid out core details of the proposal during a formal presentation attended by a cross-section of key stakeholders, including KPS’ head of traffic policing, the lead traffic official for the national investigative team, a representative from the national legislation bureau, a retired senior police chief inspector, and a senior staff member from VVI. During the gathering, commissioners walked attendees through the plan’s core objectives, projected public safety outcomes, and outlined next steps for moving the initiative forward.
Per the commission’s analysis, expanding dedicated enforcement capacity will directly increase the likelihood that drivers who violate traffic laws will be caught, creating a stronger deterrent effect that addresses high-risk dangerous driving behaviors that have contributed to road accidents and casualties across the country. Following the presentation, Minister Monorath publicly praised the commission for developing the targeted initiative and reaffirmed his full support for moving it toward implementation.
Monorath emphasized that strengthening targeted traffic enforcement is not a discretionary measure, but a necessary step to deliver long-term, sustainable improvements to Suriname’s road safety outcomes for all road users, from pedestrians to professional drivers. The minister also stressed that the project should move forward with urgency, calling for the training and deployment of the new dedicated traffic enforcement officers to begin as soon as possible.
In the coming weeks, relevant government bodies will hold additional working sessions to work through the fine details of the plan and finalize implementation arrangements. For the initiative’s architects, the expansion of traffic enforcement capacity marks a critical foundational step toward higher rates of road rule compliance and a safer road environment for every person using Suriname’s road networks.