In a major milestone for infrastructure and community development in Suriname, the critical road connecting Zanderij to the village of Matta officially received permanent street lighting starting Saturday, marking the completion of a project aimed at addressing longstanding public safety concerns and unlocking growth in the inland region.
The initiative, delivered in partnership between the Surinamese government and Energiebedrijven Suriname (EBS), the country’s national energy utility, was designed to respond directly to requests raised by local communities in the Para district years ago. Speaking at the official activation ceremony on behalf of President Jennifer Simons, Minister of Health, Welfare and Labor André Misiekaba emphasized that the project delivers on a core campaign commitment of the administration to expand critical basic services across Suriname’s inland territories. “This project demonstrates our government’s consistent pledge to invest in infrastructure that improves daily life and creates opportunities for communities outside the capital,” Misiekaba stated during the event.
EBS Director Leo Brunswijk outlined that road safety was the central driver behind the street lighting installation. For decades, the high-traffic route between Zanderij and Matta has been notoriously dangerous for motorists, pedestrians, and commercial drivers after dark, with frequent collisions and security incidents reported after sunset. Brunswijk added that the project is far more than a standalone safety upgrade: it forms a core part of a broader national strategy to expand reliable, accessible electricity access to underserved communities across Suriname. Work is already underway to extend the national power grid further to reach additional rural settlements in the Para district, bringing basic energy services to households that have long operated off-grid or relied on unstable, expensive private power generation.
Para District Commissioner Patrick Kensenhuis hailed the street lighting activation as a transformative step forward for the entire region. Kensenhuis noted that safer travel along the route will not only improve quality of life for local residents but also support growing tourism and small business activity in the area, which has long been held back by the lack of after-dark infrastructure. For local residents who have campaigned for this upgrade for years, the official switch-on has been met with widespread enthusiasm. Community members report that they have long avoided travel along the route after dark, and now expect the new lighting to cut down on road accidents and reduce crime along the highway, creating a safer environment for everyone who uses the road.