On October 1, Suriname’s Minister of Finance Adelien Wijnerman delivered the national 2027 budget proposal to President Jennifer Simons in a traditional symbolic ceremony, marking the start of the formal parliamentary process for the government’s next fiscal plan. According to the newly released budget projections, the Surinamese government expects to collect approximately 46.8 billion Surinamese dollars (SRD) in total tax revenue in 2027. This figure marks an increase of more than 4.2 billion SRD compared to the adjusted revenue forecast included in the 2026 amended budget.
The core of the 2027 tax revenue will come from two major sources: personal and corporate income tax, and value-added tax (VAT). Projections estimate that income tax will generate nearly 20.1 billion SRD in 2027, while VAT is expected to contribute around 11.6 billion SRD. Broken down by tax type, total direct taxes are forecast to hit 22.6 billion SRD, while indirect taxes are projected to raise approximately 24.2 billion SRD.
Other key revenue streams include import duties, which are expected to bring in more than 6.2 billion SRD, and excise tax on motor fuel, which is projected to generate around 4.1 billion SRD. Beyond tax revenue, the government also forecasts an additional 17.2 billion SRD in non-tax revenue, bringing total projected current revenue for 2027 to roughly 64 billion SRD.
During her annual address to the nation delivered on Wednesday, President Jennifer Simons emphasized a core principle guiding the government’s new fiscal approach: increasing state revenue cannot continuously rely on imposing heavier tax burdens on existing compliant citizens and businesses. To balance revenue growth and fair taxation, the administration has outlined a set of targeted policy adjustments. Instead of across-the-board tax hikes, the government will prioritize strengthening compliance with existing tax obligations, expanding the overall tax base to include more currently untaxed economic activity, improving tax collection efficiency, and reducing systemic revenue leaks from tax evasion and avoidance.