The brand new Geerlings-Simons Cabinet kicked off Thursday, July 24, with an intensive council of government, in which directors and ministers, led by President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, reviewed the current situation in their departments. The focus was on the exploration of Suriname's fiscal space: finance minister presented figures showing that the draft budget for 2025 only provides for the coverage of structural charges salaries, subsidies, interest payments, repayments and that the country is already recording a primary deficit of about 8 percent until May. For fixed expenditures, a cumulative deficit of an estimated SRD 1.3 billion is expected, while over SRD 7 billion in arrears is on top, the ministry's vetting exercise revealed.
To get spending under control and not further frustrate the 2024 ceiling, the president announced a major financial overhaul. A specialized team of Finance and Cabinet advisers will focus on optimal VAT collection, more decisive Tax Administration and Customs, and renegotiations with international lenders such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The goal is to relieve repayment pressure toward 2026 and create room for sustainable economic recovery.
At the same time, Minister André Misiekaba (Public Health, Welfare and Labor) held his first consultations with PAHO representative Yafflo Ouattara. Here it was agreed to quickly reactivate inactive committees on IHR, pandemic preparedness and port health and to support the capacity building of Suriname's Plan Unit. PAHO promised technical assistance and structural support, while Suriname is prepared to help neighboring countries fight malaria and other infectious diseases. This cooperation should strengthen public health in the region and is part of the Cabinet's broad task of addressing both social and economic challenges holistically.
Afterwards, President Geerlings-Simons underlined the importance of mutual coordination: "We form a government. Only with transparency, strict coordination and a joint annual plan that will soon be presented to The National Assembly can we live up to the confidence of the people." Pending final approval of the budget, government council meetings will be frequent in the coming months. Once the quick scans by ministry have revealed their biggest bottlenecks, the sessions will be reduced to a rhythm of once a month or six weeks, the head of state said.
