There is no choice but to work with the International Monetary Fund, President Chan Santokhi reiterated Thursday night in front of the National Assembly (IMF). The government is committed to achieving the targets despite having only 2.5 months left. Every visit has a “window” with goals and a schedule. Within the program, you cannot make your own decisions. It is impossible to establish one’s own standards and principles. The possibility of “the window being closed” must be avoided.
Santokhi stated that there is a deadline for completing the IMF program’s objectives. Following an appraisal of the IMF program after a year, the government requested further negotiations from the IMF’s senior management. Negotiations are under progress as the software is being redone.
The prerequisites must be satisfied in order to receive IMF approval. For instance, the National Assembly must approve the revised budget for 2023 by the middle of February and the Value Added Tax (VAT) must go into force on January 1. Santokhi stressed the necessity of the conditions for restoring economic health. The amount of government spending must be balanced.
The president pointed out that those who oppose going to the IMF do not offer an alternative either. Democracy entails that not everyone will concur with the choices made, according to Santokhi. It also pays attention to critics. The administration has chosen to alter the policy for this reason. The program should appear differently and should communicate its social character clearly, the IMF has been instructed. The social program will be given SRD 1.2 billion.
