The only debt that remains unpaid after the Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the understanding in principle with the holders of Oppenheimer bonds, and the rescheduling with the Republic of India is the one with the People’s Republic of China. According to Minister Stanley Raghoebarsing of Finance and Planning, “We are confident that China will also succeed.” he told the Suriname Communications Service. This week, the government and the Republic of India reached an agreement on a debt restructure worth about US$39 million. At US$ 537 million, the amount owed to China is substantially higher.
The minister claims that Suriname and China are in good communication. In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation (BIBIS), efforts have been undertaken at the highest (political) level to facilitate the communication with the Asian nation. For instance, at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November, President Chandrikapersad Santokhi had arranged to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Albert Ramdin, a BIBIS minister who also played a significant role, traveled in place of the head of state.
The Surinamese government has since received a supporting letter from China. “Although it is not yet the commitment we would like to have, I think China will think along with us to get this issue resolved,” said Minister Raghoebarsing. He calls the Asian country a good partner and says that agreeing on a realignment also gives more prospects for doing business with China.
