On October 23, 2026, official communications from Suriname’s head of state confirmed that the statutory appointment of Wendy Jap A Joe as director of the Telecommunications Authority Suriname (TAS) has lapsed automatically under national law. The formal confirmation came via an October 22 letter from President Jennifer Simons addressed to Raymond Landveld, Minister of Transport, Communications and Tourism, in response to two separate queries the minister submitted two days prior regarding the status of Jap A Joe’s tenure. Citing the September 1, 2021, presidential resolution that formalized Jap A Joe’s public sector appointment, Simons clarified that the term expired in line with Article 2 Subsection 2 of the Surinamese Telecommunications Facilities Act. Crucially, the president also verified that no formal employment contract for the director role, as mandated under Article 4 Subsection 4 of the same legislation, had ever been finalized and executed by the transport minister’s office. To prevent operational disruptions at the critical national telecom regulator, Simons has issued a formal directive to Landveld to extend full, immediate administrative and logistical support to TAS’s Supervisory Board, ensuring the body can execute all its legal obligations without interruption. The directive is explicitly designed to preserve unbroken service delivery and regular day-to-day operations across the authority. Simons has further instructed Landveld to submit a prompt formal update outlining all measures the ministry will implement to secure uninterrupted administrative governance at TAS, and to share a clear roadmap for long-term leadership continuity at the body. The official presidential letter does not name an interim acting director, nor does it specify a timeline for opening the formal recruitment process to appoint a permanent new head of the telecom regulator.
President bevestigt schriftelijk: benoeming TAS-directeur van rechtswege verstreken
