In a significant administrative restructuring, Suriname has inaugurated a new Supervisory Board (Raad van Toezicht) for its national public broadcaster, STVS (Surinaamse Televisie Stichting). The appointment ceremony, held at the Vice President’s Office on January 17th, marks a pivotal development in the governance of the state-mediated enterprise.
Shurly Lackin, former seven-year member of STVS’s management team, assumes leadership as Chairperson of the five-member oversight body. The council comprises Glenn Truideman, Stanley Sidoel, Kenrich Cairo, and Michel Felisi, bringing diverse expertise to the organization’s regulatory framework.
Vice President Gregory Rusland presided over the installation, emphasizing STVS’s critical role in public information dissemination and social responsibility. He clarified the broadcaster’s administrative placement under his office, including budgetary oversight. “During budget deliberations,” Rusland stated, “we will endeavor to create greater financial flexibility for STVS.”
Chairperson Lackin identified financial strengthening as a primary mandate, while Council Member Truideman highlighted structural challenges within the workforce. Truideman noted that STVS employees currently operate under three distinct administrative entities—the Vice President’s Office, STVS itself, and the Ministry of Home Affairs—creating operational friction and bureaucratic complexities.
In response, Vice President Rusland suggested project-based employment models as a potential solution, where contracts would explicitly terminate upon project completion, streamlining human resource management.
STVS Director Raoul Abisoina expressed appreciation for the existing cooperative relationship with the Vice President’s Office and anticipated constructive collaboration with the newly installed supervisory body, signaling optimism for institutional improvements.