On August 3, Suriname President Jenny Simons addressed a ongoing press conference to mark the first anniversary of her administration, offering a comprehensive assessment of the government’s progress over the past 12 months and outlining the priorities ahead, as the country navigates a critical transitional period.
Opening her remarks, Simons acknowledged that while a number of the administration’s initial policy pledges have been completed, many key initiatives remain in progress. Among the unmet targets, she highlighted improved public communication with civil society as a priority the government has yet to deliver on, echoing that timeline for another core reform — administrative decentralization — has also been pushed back. She confirmed that the required legislation for decentralization is on track to be finalized next year.
On environmental governance, Simons admitted there remain significant gaps in the country’s natural resource protection systems, a shortcoming she made clear the government is actively working to address. Turning to the long-running land rights issue, the president announced the Simons administration has reached the final stages of preparing a state decree to formally protect the residential and traditional territories of Indigenous and tribal communities. She added that the proposed decree will go beyond basic land titling, extending protections to old-growth forests, river headwaters and upper watersheds that are currently vulnerable to unregulated gold mining activity.
On the economic front, Simons touted the government’s prudent fiscal policy as a major success, noting that the country’s primary balance has shifted from negative to positive over the past 12 months — a key indicator of a nation’s ability to service its sovereign debt. The government completed a major debt restructuring process during its first year in office, Simons explained, which freed up fiscal space to deliver modest inflation compensation to households and implement a small increase to the hourly minimum wage.
In the area of rule of law reform, Simons confirmed that the process of updating the country’s legislative framework is already underway, and expressed hope that key bills will be passed by parliament this month following recent prolonged debates over official remuneration. The reform will also establish a new governing board for the Public Prosecution Service, led by the Attorney General alongside other senior judicial officials.
Looking ahead to future revenue from Suriname’s oil and gas sector, Simons announced plans to further update the national Savings and Stabilization Fund — originally established in 2017 and revised in 2024. The upcoming amendments will add two new dedicated arms to the fund: an investment division, and a social allocation earmarked for investments in the healthcare sector and affordable housing construction.