The Central Bank of Suriname (CBvS) can look forward to the coming years with confidence following the recent adjustment of Governor Maurice Roemer's term. Whereas his reappointment in February 2025 was initially for only one year and thus did not comply with Articles 28 and 29 of the Banking Act, on July 11, 2025, that term was formally converted to the legally required seven years, until 2032.
Outgoing President Chan Santokhi emphasized during a joint discussion with President-elect Jennifer Geerlings-Simons that the corrigenda were necessary to make all the governor's actions incontrovertibly legal. The extension creates future-proof financial-economic policies and ensures uninterrupted leadership of the CBvS, Santokhi said.
The change stems from the new 2022 Banking Act, which expanded the term from five to seven years to prevent the governor's tenure from coinciding with a cabinet's political cycle. Thanks to the swift legal correction, all decisions and policy actions taken by Roemer since Feb. 2025 are not at risk of being invalidated.
In the transition talks between President Santokhi's team and the incoming cabinet led by President Geerlings-Simons, it was unanimously determined that the Banking Act will be leading at all times. It was also agreed that the National Party Suriname (NPS) will retain a say in the procedure for a future governor's appointment, in which current laws and regulations will be fully respected.
With this clear and straightforward approach, Suriname underscores its commitment to good governance and reinforces confidence in the independence and continuity of the Central Bank. The period to 2032 will thus become a solid foundation for sustainable economic growth and confidence in the monetary system.
