**October 22** – As the Suriname Business Forum (SBF) marks its 20th anniversary, President Jennifer Simons has announced a collaborative push between the government and the private sector to deliver a concrete action plan within months that will overhaul the country’s investment climate. The initiative centers on three core priorities: cutting red tape to speed up permit approval, expanding access to financing for small and medium enterprises, and creating new growth opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
Speaking at the official opening of SBF’s jubilee year, themed “Sranan Kon’ makandra,” President Simons emphasized that meaningful economic growth depends on creating an environment where local entrepreneurs can invest confidently, and all Surinamese citizens can share in the benefits of that growth. She noted that projected revenue from the country’s emerging oil and gas sector should be leveraged to build a more resilient, diversified economy that does not rely on natural resources alone.
“A nation is not built only by what lies beneath its soil, but by the determination and persistence of its people,” the president stated. According to Suriname’s Communication Service, Simons highlighted longstanding barriers to private sector growth, including bureaucratic bottlenecks, limited access to capital, and difficulties accessing new sales markets. The new action plan is designed to directly address these challenges by strengthening connections between local suppliers and larger domestic and international buyers.
Speaker of the National Assembly Ashwin Adhin echoed the call for cross-sector collaboration, stressing that meaningful progress requires alignment between government, the private sector, labor unions, and academic institutions. Adhin recalled that SBF was established by legislation in 2006 with a clear mandate to support private sector development across the country. “Oil delivers revenue, but whether that revenue creates opportunities for entrepreneurs, new jobs, and knowledge building is a choice we make ourselves,” he said. Adhin called on SBF to use its anniversary year to share on-the-ground insights about business barriers with members of parliament, so that outdated regulations holding back economic growth can be prioritized for legislative reform.
SBF Chair Steven Debipersad emphasized that improving entrepreneurial education and expanding market intelligence are critical to unlocking Suriname’s full economic potential. He added that existing competitive advantages held by Surinamese industries should be further developed to drive broader revenue growth across sectors.
President Simons also highlighted the critical role of workforce development, calling for joint public-private investment in vocational training, quality standards, and work ethic development. These investments are targeted at equipping young Surinamese people with the skills needed to fill available jobs across growing sectors.
Beyond the new action plan, the president outlined ongoing government efforts to modernize Suriname’s investment framework, including the development of special economic zones, digitalization and simplification of government administrative processes, and the formalization of local content requirements. These rules will ensure that Surinamese businesses gain increased opportunities to supply goods and services to larger enterprises, particularly those operating in the oil and gas sector. “We need to move past the planning stage and turn words into immediate action,” Simons reaffirmed.