The “Suriname Competitiveness and Sector Diversification (SCSD) project” has been awarded a loan by the World Bank to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship, and Technological Innovation (EZ). Reana Burke, a social specialist, and Susan Bansropansingh, the Competitiveness Unit Suriname (CUS) department coordinator and component coordinator, led a brief briefing session on the project and the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) system. District commissioners (DCs), DC representatives, and directors of EZ were present during the meeting, which took place on May 23, 2023.
The project’s purpose was stated by Bansropansingh at the beginning of the meeting. The project must make sure that (legal) reforms, focusing primarily on the Real Estate Act, are implemented to encourage and support entrepreneurship. The Ministry of Natural Resources participates in two activities that are part of the SCSD initiative. In addition to providing direct assistance and reforming the investment climate, EZ is working to increase managerial capacity, invest in productivity, upgrade and support small and medium-sized I, and more. The formation of the Suriname Minerals Authority will be handled by the Ministry of Natural Resources. This undertaking will last through June 2025 and began in 2021.
Through the complaint handling system, the community will be given the opportunity to deposit their complaints related to the two components of the project. To ensure smooth processing, each DC appoints a person responsible for the GRM. Those responsible will also be trained to work with the system.
