Suriname’s growing local engagement in its gold mining sector has taken a positive step forward, with new data showing increasing local employment, rising local leadership representation, and growing contract values for domestic businesses at Chinese mining firm Zijin. Minister David Abiamofo of the Ministry of Natural Resources shared these updated figures during budget debates in the National Assembly of Suriname Friday, outlining steady progress in the company’s local content initiative.
According to Minister Abiamofo, Zijin currently provides direct employment to roughly 1,690 Surinamese workers across its operations. An additional 1,400 Surinamese earn indirect income through the company’s network of local suppliers and contractors, meaning the firm supports a total of more than 3,000 local jobs across the country.
The most notable gains have come in leadership and technical roles, which have historically been dominated by foreign personnel at large international mining projects in the country. Abiamofo confirmed that 25% of all senior management positions at Zijin’s Suriname operations are now held by local Surinamese professionals. That share jumps to 49% for mid-level management roles, while 95% of frontline supervisors and 83% of technical staff are recruited from the local workforce. All entry-level operational roles and internal support positions are currently filled exclusively by Surinamese workers.
Minister Abiamofo acknowledged that a small number of highly specialized positions still rely on foreign experts, due to the specific experience and industry certifications required for these niche roles that are not yet widely available among the local workforce. However, he emphasized that this is a temporary gap that will continue to narrow as local workers gain more on-the-job experience and specialized training through the company’s capacity building programs.
Beyond direct employment, the value of contracts awarded to Surinamese domestic businesses has also increased considerably, climbing from $163 million U.S. dollars to $192 million U.S. dollars in recent years. Correspondingly, the share of contracts going to foreign-based companies has declined as local suppliers have expanded their capabilities to meet the mining firm’s needs.
Despite the positive progress, Minister Abiamofo stressed that local businesses must maintain competitive standards to retain these opportunities. “Quality, reliability, and competitiveness remain the deciding factors for contract awards,” he said. “Local companies cannot rely solely on long-standing working relationships to secure ongoing work; they must continue to deliver value that matches or exceeds what international firms can offer.”
The updates come as Suriname continues to push for greater local benefits from its natural resource sector, a core driver of the country’s national economy. Local content requirements have become a key policy priority for the government, aimed at ensuring resource extraction delivers long-term inclusive economic growth rather than just short-term revenue.