RESTRICTED  
  
WT/TPR/G/391  
7 August  2019 
(19-5089) Page: 1/11 
Trade Policy Review Body   Original: English  
 
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  
REPORT BY  
SURINAME  
Pursuant to the Agreement Establishing the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (Annex 3 of the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization), the policy statement by Suriname  
is attached.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This report is subject to restricted circulation and press embargo until the end of the 
first session of the meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body on Suriname . WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  Contents  
1   INTRODUCTION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  3 
2   DEVELOPMENT PROC ESS ................................ ................................ .............................  3 
2.1   Economic Climate  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  3 
3   SECTORAL PERFORM ANCE  ................................ ................................ ...........................  5 
3.1   Key Sectors  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
3.1.1    Agriculture  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
3.1.2    Services  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  6 
3.1.3    Financial sector  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  6 
3.1.4    Tourism  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  7 
3.1.5    Monetary p olicy ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  7 
3.1.6    Transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  8 
3.1.6.1    Road transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 8 
3.1.6.2    Maritime transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 8 
3.1.6.3    Air transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  8 
3.1.7    Telecommunication  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 8 
3.1.8    Mining  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  9 
4   TRADE AND BILATE RAL RELATIONS  ................................ ................................ ............  9 
5   TRADE FACILITATI ON ................................ ................................ ...............................  10 
 
 
  WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  The Republic of Suriname is situated on the northeast coast of South America. It is the smallest 
independent developing nation in South America and also the only Dutch speaking country. The land 
area is 163,270 square kilometres , of which 93% is covered by  tropical rainforest enriched with a 
great diversity of flora and fauna. Suriname has a relatively small population of about 563,402 
(2017), residing mostly along the coastline. Suriname shares its border in the east with French 
Guiana, Brazil in the south  and Guyana in the west. Suriname has committed to protect 93% of its 
tropical rainforest.  
1.2.  The Constitution of Suriname enshrines the parliamentary form of democracy based on the 
Dutch legal system with an incorporated French penal principle. Legislative Power resides in the 
51-member Parliament. Executive power is vested in the President. The President is the Head of 
State of the Republic of Suriname, Head of the Government, President of the State Council and the 
Security Council. The President is account able to the National Assembly. The Government consists 
of the President, Vice - President and the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers is the highest 
executive and administrative body of the Government. Judicial power is vested in the Court of 
Justice, consisting of the Public Prosecutors' Office, Magistrate's Court and Supreme Court.  
1.3.  Suriname has a small and open economy that poses a constant challenge to maintain stability 
since we are a high trading country with a fluctuating trade balance. Suri name is highly dependent 
on a limited number of exports of goods and services in order to finance its development. Suriname's 
tradable sector at the beginning of the 21st century remains heavily reliant on primary production – 
agriculture, fishing, forestr y and mining. The major export crops – rice and bananas – have been 
marketed traditionally under preferential arrangements, which recently have come under review. In 
turn, production has decreased, mainly due to the non -competitiveness of these industries in the 
international trading environment. Gold mining remains a key sector of the Surinamese economy. 
Petroleum is also growing as part of the extractive sector. It is estimated that petroleum and gold 
mining account for most of the export earnings. Effort s are now being taken to further diversify the 
economy with more ongoing foreign investments in gold, off -shore drilling for oil, palm oil, cacao, 
fishery sectors, pineapple, non - timber forest products and the further development of the tourism 
sector.  
1.4.  The participation of Suriname in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy is primarily a way 
of gradually integrating the economy regionally. Suriname is also engaged in various major external 
trade negotiations and agreements namely in terms of Fisheries subsi dies, CARIFORUM – EU 
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and Post Cotonou, Community of Latin America and 
Caribbean States (CELAC), TPS/ OIC and CARIFORUM/UK EPA. Furthermore, we are strengthening 
the trade partnerships with CARICOM Member states such as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, 
Guyana and Dominica.  
1.5.  The Suriname Electronic Single Window (SESW) will be implemented as of September 2019. 
This facility/platform will allow  parties involved in  trade  and transport to lodge standardized 
information and docu ments with a  single  entry point to fulfill all import, export, and transit -related 
regulatory requirements. There will be a monitoring of processing export and import consignments 
whereby clearing agents/custom brokers and other agencies on the platform wi ll be notified on the 
progress of processing their consignments; this will enhance transparency and predictability.  
2  DEVELOPMENT PROCESS  
2.1  Economic Climate  
2.1.  The macroeconomic environment has been largely stabilized due to the measures from the 
government. The latest development plan "Nationaal Ontwikkelingsplan 2017 -2021" aims towards 
diversification of the Surinamese economy and seeks to substitute the large income from the 
extractive industries by developing new industries in agro -processing and improving the  capacity of 
the existing industries. The need to improve conditions for domestic capital formation and to improve 
the business / economic environment in order to stimulate entrepreneurship while the country 
attracts foreign investment is also recognized. The government has by law instituted an investment 
agency (InVestSur) to achieve this goal. The aim of the government is to support entrepreneurship WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  and to increase micro, small and medium businesses as drivers for economic growth and sources of 
employment .  
2.2.  Following the stabilization of the economy in 2018, which had brought lower inflation, a 
narrowing of the balance -of-payments current account deficit. The development plan for 2017 -2021 
was aimed at accelerating growth while safeguarding stability. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 
in Suriname contracted 2.10% in 2017. The projection for the inflation in 2019 is estimated at 5.4%.  
2.3.  In 2018, the economy expanded at an estimated rate of 1.2 %. This was led by mining, 
construction and to a lesser extent, agr iculture.  
2.4.  In 2016, the Surinamese dollar was devaluated against the U.S. dollar. The parallel market has 
since disappeared due to stabilization of the Surinamese dollar. Government revenue benefitted 
from:  
• the positive impact on tax collections from the de valuation;  
• a spike in direct taxes from the oil and gold sectors;  
• higher indirect tax collections from domestic fuel products, alcohol, tobacco and casinos; 
and 
• vehicle tax.  
2.5.  In order to build together in consensus a diversified Surinamese economy that is competitive 
in the world market and significantly more sustainable in generating employment and equality and 
in keeping the environment liv eable, other non -traditional sectors need to be further developed.  
2.6.  Suriname has people living around the world, in th is we see the opportunity to tap into the 
Diaspora to promote Surinamese goods and services. These deep roots with Suriname can also be 
used to generate foreign direct investment. The Diaspora can also see the opening of a niche market 
for new Surinamese p roducts in countries with a high concentration of Surinamese people. Efforts 
have been directed towards developing niche markets.  
2.7.  The commitment to protect 93% of our forest will provide an opportunity to further develop 
our eco -tourism as well as allow f or the research and commercial development of Non -Timber Forest 
Products (NFTP). This also paves the way for the development of green energy. Our aim is to move 
from fossil fuel energy to solar, hydro and wind energy. Another related bio -friendly project t hat we 
are currently involved in is developing (along with Surinamese entrepreneurs) a sustainable plan for 
the management of waste and turning it into cooking gas and energy. Suriname held the Krutu of 
Paramaribo were the High Forest Cover and Low Defores tation (HFLD) developing countries signed 
a joint declaration in mobilizing financing for sustainable forest management, including conservation. 
This reaffirms our commitment towards the sustainable development of the rainforest.  
2.8.  With the ban on Styrofoam , we are also moving forwards towards banning select single use 
plastic items. This will direct us towards more environmental friendly packaging materials. Also, we 
are in the process of developing industries directed towards producing environmental friend ly 
packaging materials that will contribute to a sustainable and liv eable environment.  
2.9.  The government is committed to developing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) 
through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism which has set up several program s for MSM 
enterprises. The Ministry provides technical support through the Entrepreneurs desk and the 
directorate of Entrepreneurship. The technical support consists of training, guidance and providing 
information on related issues regarding MSME. The Mini stry of Trade, Industry and Tourism in 
consultation with the private sector has identified the issues pertaining to the access of finance for 
MSM. Therefore, in cooperation with local banks, a fund for MSM Entrepreneurs to have access to 
loans that were no t accessible in the past has been established. With this new approach, we look 
towards structurally strengthening the MSM which are the backbone of most developing countries. 
The Entrepreneurs desk provides MSME with technical assistance in writing their b usiness plan. 
Currently we are also planning to restructure and expand the directorate of Entrepreneurship to 
re-train the personnel to be able to guide and better assist MSME in setting out a structural plan.  WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  2.10.   The Parliament is in the process of finalizing  the anti -corruption law.  
2.11.   The implementation of the Suriname Electronic Single Window (SESW) is currently taking 
place. The SESW will make it possible for traders to submit all required documents in digital form to 
all relevant government authorities rega rding the import, export and transit of goods. Traders will 
also be able to check the tariffs applicable to their specified HS code.  
2.12.   The Republic of Suriname is now a Member of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and is 
in the process of implementing the HS 2017.  
2.13.   The government has implemented a safe city project where CCTV cameras have been installed 
all over the city of Paramaribo with a central command centre  linked with the police - and fire 
departments to ensure that we remain one of the safest cities  in the region.   
3  SECTORAL PERFORMANCE  
3.1  Key Sectors  
3.1.1   Agriculture  
3.1.  The agricultural sector in Suriname, as a former plantation colony, has always had an important 
place in the economy. Agriculture, livestock and fisheries form the agricultural sector and have a 
share in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Suriname. The Govern ment stands for a sustainable 
strategy in the agricultural areas. This strategy aims at sustainable agricultural activities. Under 
sustainable agricultural production is meant a production system in which the ecosystem is carefully 
handled, so that the nex t generations are assured of good conditions for the production of sufficient, 
healthy and safe food.  
3.2.  The Government has developed a policy towards converting Suriname into a major food 
producer and supplier of the Caribbean. The strategy is to increase th e export of agricultural products 
by first increasing the agricultural production in a sustainable way. The effort to achieve this strategic 
goal is a shared responsibility between the private sector and the government. The Government has 
decided to create  conditions to support the agricultural sector, which are necessary if we want to 
become a major food provider of the Caribbean.  
3.3.  Continued capacity building and strengthening measures are constantly taken in the form of 
workshops, training or seminars in a griculture, fisheries and animal husbandry with international 
organizations and institutes. Also efforts are being made towards the development of geographical 
distribution of food and agricultural research and development (AgR&D).  
3.4.  The Ministry of Agricul ture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries will also set up an international 
certifying agro -laboratory.  The Ministry is developing its policies on sustainability of the agriculture, 
animal husbandry and fisheries sector. The aimed economic development which the  agricultural 
sector wishes to achieve will in turn divert us towards the 0need for more sophisticated and more 
efficient marketing systems. The urge to meet international standards in order to be able to compete 
in a broader market has been hindered due t o the fact that our current existing laboratory does not 
have the capacity to test everything. In light hereof, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry 
and Fisheries has plans to setup a new laboratory.  
3.5.  Suriname has a plentiful landmass and a vast array of fertile land for agriculture. The 
commitment of the government is to become a net exporter of agricultural products. With a 
favourable  climate and no natural disasters (hurricanes etc.) we can secure th e food stock for the 
region (Caribbean). This will be developed with joint ventures with the regional governments and 
private sector. Efforts have been already directed towards these joint -ventures by conducting field 
visits with our interested counterpart s. We support the idea of measures being implemented through 
which a country can be made economically resilient as it is strongly linked to regional prosperity. 
Economic resilience, not only in the ability to recover quickly from a shock, but also in gaini ng the 
ability to withstand a shock is a major aspect we seek to incorporate in our future national 
developmental strategies.  WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  3.6.  The husbandry sector produces mainly for domestic consumption and includes cattle, pigs and 
poultry. This sector has great potent ial for export. With the exception of poultry, the husbandry 
sector consists mainly of small businesses.  
3.7.  Under the new law all fisherman that explore economic activities in Surinamese waters are 
permitted to have the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) on thei r boats. This VMS is to secure the 
food stock (fish) in Surinamese waters. The Ministry also has an internationally certified and 
recognized fish inspection institute; this institute will become the foremost inspection institute for 
the Caribbean region.  
3.8.  The fishery sector in terms of export value of fishery products is the largest sub -sector within 
the agricultural branch. For the past few years, the export value has fluctuated around 
USD 40 million annually. Its annual contribution to the GDP is around 4 % and it provides 
employment to over 6,000  people. Apart from the mining sector, the fishery sector is the most 
important sector regarding foreign exchange earnings for the country. The production consists of 
sea shrimp (highest in terms of export value), sea bob shrimp, and fish.  
3.9.  The recently established InVitroplants Grassalco is a large -scale plant propagation company. 
The company has a hyper -modern laboratory that is specialized in the production of in vitro 
propagated plant material. The laboratory and  greenhouses have a total capacity of 8 million plants. 
This initiative is in line with our commitment to become a net exporter of agricultural products and 
the much -needed diversification of our economy.  
3.1.2   Services  
3.10.   The services sector accounts for nearly 6 0% of the total economic activities in Suriname and 
is a major source of economic activity and employment. The Government is in the process of 
developing the services sector through the following policy:  
a. Stimulating entrepreneurship and promoting intern ational cooperation in order to 
guarantee markets for the Surinamese businesses.  
b. Development of new services sectors.  
3.11.   With the development of a MSME credit fund, the Ministry has committed to further 
development and strengthen MSME's in Suriname.  
3.12.   The Government has implemented the law on companies and professions. This law establishes 
a classification of companies and professions into categories based on internationally accepted 
classification that will be used for the determination of permit condition s, regulations, registration, 
etc. 
3.1.3   Financial sector  
3.13.   The financial sector has an important role in promoting macro -economic stability and the 
degree of economic growth in the country. The government has a fiscal conservative policy. In this 
context, stringe nt cash management, as well as a responsible and balanced policy with regard to 
public finances will be conducted. Through the project Management and Supervision of State 
Finance, the efficiency in the management of public finances will be increased.  
3.14.   Conce rning the National Debt, the Government will ensure that the National Debt is always 
at a legally acceptable level; this is by law. Recently several laws have been passed to ensure that 
the financial sector can meet up to the international standards; the F inancial Statements Act has 
been passed and this will obligate all companies to publish their financial statements. We are in the 
process of passing a law for e -payment, this will make it possible to make payments online. 
Electronic Legal Traffic Act, this  is a law that recognizes the electronic signature, electronic 
transactions are covered by this law; Law on Surinamese Chartered Accountants . WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  3.1.4   Tourism  
3.15.   Strategic policy development plans for tourism clusters and creative industries. The potential 
in the Cent ral Suriname Nature Reserve and the historical buildings in the capital city, Paramaribo, 
that are on the UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as the presence of a multicultural society with 
a unique culinary gastronomy are unique selling points of Suriname.   
3.16.   A Tourism Strategic Plan is being developed which will be directed towards:  
• The development of sustainable tourism, in this regard the development of eco - and 
cultural tourism. With the development of cultural tourism we want to develop the creative 
industries as well. We have a very unique and rich culture and in this we can provide a 
unique experience for the travelers.  
• With the development of a Suriname tourist brand the possibility will be created in which 
Suriname will be emphasized as a new, exotic and unknown touristic destination for 
travelers (this can be seen as a strategic  marketing move).  
• FDI for the tourism se ctor; with the increase of tourists coming in to our country, the need 
for more hotels shall arise also even the possibilities for resorts, lodging etc. for nature 
oriented as well as eco -tourism.  
3.1.5   Monetary policy  
3.17.   The Monetary Authority intends to transfor m the character of the monetary policy from 
passive to active. This change is important for the Central Bank of Suriname in order to control the 
liquidity in the financial sector effectively and to create a basis for efficient allocation of capital in 
the economy. This transformation process involves the introduction of a framework in which open 
market policy will be the focus of monetary policy, while the cash reserve arrangement, whether or 
not modified, will have a supplement role.  
3.18.   The operationalizatio n of InVestSur for investment promotion and the development of a 
national investment strategy plan titled Suriname's vision 2035. InVestSur  shall assist and assign 
incentives to investors, implement the national development strategy, the national planning and 
macroeconomic policy will be recorded. The long-term goal is to achieve economic growth by 
producing and exporting more diversified pro ducts.  
3.19.   With regard to legislation in this area, the focus is on new and adapted legislations, namely:  
• a Law on Supervision on the Banking and Credit system;  
• a Law on Supervision on Insurance Companies;  
• a Law on Supervision on money remitters;  
• a new Foreig n Exchange Law ; 
• Investment Law . 
3.20.   With the new Foreign Exchange Law the Government intends to make significant changes in 
the foreign exchange regulations and to align the law with current social circumstances.  
3.21.   The first three laws intend to create instrumen ts for the Central Bank of Suriname in order to 
perform its tasks in accordance with international standards and norms, and to provide the general 
public greater guarantee regarding the safety of the financial system and the adequate functioning 
of the fin ancial markets.  WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  3.1.6   Transport  
3.22.   The government has invested in several projects to improve the infrastructure. The 
advantageous geographical location of Suriname can have us function as a hub between the 
Caribbean and South America, Europe and Asia.   
3.1.6.1   Road trans port 
3.23.   We will also work on the East - West highway that connects the border towns Nieuw Nickerie 
to the west and Albina to the east.  
3.1.6.2   Maritime transport  
3.24.   We are in the process of starting the dredging of the Surinamese and Nickerie river that are 
the waterway to the Ports. By dredging the rivers we will be able to receive larger ships. This will 
allow for larger capacity ships to enter our ports and thus will bring down the costs. The renovation 
of the Ports in the border towns in order to increase the trade wi th our neighbours  and have a widely 
spread points of entry. We are also working on plans for a deep-sea harbour  that will interlink 
Suriname as transport hub for the region.  
3.1.6.3   Air transport  
3.25.   Currently our international airport has one of the longest landing strips. Also the international 
airport will undergo a renovation and be transformed to one of the most modern international 
airports in the region. We have 2 airports (Zorg en Hoop en H. Fernandes in Nickerie) that have the 
capabilities to accommodate shor t take-off and landing capability for regional flights.  
3.26.   The CARICOM air service agreement. We also seek air service agreements with trade partners 
and other countries to establish a sustainable air connectivity within the region and the world and 
are open  for partnerships to develop this.  
3.27.   With the upgrading of our radar equipment the government intends to reduce the number of 
illegal and unidentified aircraft movements. To increase the awareness within the sector, the National 
Civil Aviation and Security Program and the Quality Control and Trainings program will be developed.  
3.1.7   Telecommunication  
3.28.   The investment in the telecommunication infrastructure with expansion of our wireless 
network that will enclose the whole country including the hinterland. The government is also actively 
participating in the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) to develop a regional strategy for 
the development of telecommunication.  
3.29.   With regard to the telecommunication sector, the government will develop an information 
society where everyone enjoys equal access to adequate and qualitative ICT infrastructure. 
Important policy principle for achieving this objective is: current implementation of a higher speed 
internet network to ensure a faster and affordable access to the  world wide web.  
3.30.   The Telecommunication Company Suriname (Telesur) is implementing its Broadband project. 
The E -Suriname idea is the collective name of the various e -services that Telesur wants to make 
available to the Surinamese community and thus contribu te to the socio -economic development of 
Suriname. E -services will create innovative possibilities in different areas. The aim of this project is 
to provide the coastal area of Suriname with up -to-date infrastructure and future ready network on 
which innova tive services are possible for individuals and companies. During the execution of this 
project, large parts of the existing Telesur copper cable network transferred to the fibre optic 
network.  
3.31.   Furthermore, the government will cooperate with international a nd regional organizations of 
China and India in the area of ICT. The development of laws on anti-spam , cybercrime.  WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  3.1.8   Mining  
3.32.   Exploration of new on and off shore drill areas by the State -owned  oil company (Staatsolie) 
in cooperation with Apache en Cosmos ener gy.  
3.33.   In 2004 Newmont Suriname was established as an entity of Newmont Goldcorp Corporation. 
Newmont Suriname is a joint venture between the Newmont Goldcorp Corporation and the 
Republic  of Suriname. They are in the process of exploring a new gold mine; thi s shall increase the 
total gold production of the large -scale gold mining from 9,600 to about 12,000 kg.  
3.34.   Grassalco is a Surinamese mining company that independently and/or in partnership, explores 
and exploits minerals and ores in Suriname (excluding hydr ocarbons). Grassalco uses 
environmentally friendly exploration and exploitation systems. Grassalco is now known as the "Driver 
of Diversification".  
3.35.   Besides state owned companies, there has been FDI invest in different areas of the mining 
sector. also the p rivate sector has made investment in the exploration of new areas of mining.  
4  TRADE AND BILATERAL RELATIONS  
4.1.  Suriname is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and is working towards the 
achievement of a Caribbean common and single market economy (CSM E).  
4.2.  The Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN), gives the CARICOM members states guidance in 
various trade issues and negotiations. Suriname participates fully in regional Consultations and 
Negotiations but not without consulting the relevant national stakeho lders first  
4.3.  Suriname currently has no permanent missions in Geneva; however, is looking into the 
possibilities to open a mission. Currently the Surinamese Ambassador in Paris, France has been 
accredited as the Geneva Representative.  
4.4.  Suriname has signed Mo U's with Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Dominica to further 
strengthen the commitment within the CARICOM regime. Suriname also signed a MoU with the 
Republic of Ghana.  
4.5.  Pursuant to Articles XXIV:6 and XXVIII:5 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Tra de, 
Suriname intents to modify some tariff concessions in Schedule LXXIV in order to adjust Suriname's 
tariffs to the Common External Tariff of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) customs union. The 
government will commit itself to the regional development o f a single market and economy.  
4.6.  Suriname is currently engaged in trade negotiations within CARIFORUM/ UK EPA and Post 
Cotonou Regional agreements.  
4.7.  MERCOSUR (The Southern Common Market) is a regional integration process where the main 
objective has been to  promote a common space that generates business and investment 
opportunities through the competitive integration of national economies into the international 
market. The Republic of Suriname is an associated member.  
4.8.  Association of Caribbean States (ACS) o bjectives are based on the strengthening of the regional 
co-operation and integration process, with a view to creating an enhanced economic space in the 
region; preserving the environmental integrity of the Caribbean Sea which is regarded as the 
common pat rimony of the peoples of the region; and promoting the sustainable development of the 
Greater Caribbean. The Republic of Suriname is a member of ACS.  
4.9.  The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is an inter -governmental organization. The OIC 
is the colle ctive voice of the Muslim world. It endeavours  to safeguard and protect the interests of 
the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people 
of the world. Currently, we are developing along with the OIC a Muslim  friendly Tourism package.  
4.10.   CARICOM agreements, the CARICOM has agreements with the Dominican Republic, Cuba and 
Costa Rica, which the Republic of Suriname is part of these agreements as a Member of CARICOM.  WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  4.11.   Part Scope Agreement with Brazil, this agreemen t was a bilateral agreement with Brazil for 
the delivery of rice to Brazil.  
4.12.   Trade Agreement Indonesia, this bilateral agreement with Indonesia for the entry of products 
with the purpose of promotional use.  
4.13.   Suriname is working on agreements with China in several areas of cooperation in air service, 
tourism, etc.  
5  TRADE FACILITATION  
5.1.  A key pillar in the effort to improve the competitiveness of the private sector was the reform 
of Customs Operations. In this regard, the Customs Department received technical assistance (TA) 
from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  (UNCTAD)  for the implementation of 
ASYCUDA World in 2015. While the ASYCUDA World system is designed to facilitate and improve the 
calculation, collection and accounting of Customs duties and other charges related to Customs 
operations, and speed -up the clearance of goods and help prevent smuggling, the current way in 
which the licensing regime for the movement of goods on Suriname's Negative List is operated, will 
still result in undue delays for customs clearance.  
5.2.  The Department of Import, Export and Foreign Exc hange Control (IUD) of the Ministry of 
Commerce and Industry is responsible for issuing licences for import and export and currency control 
for gold purchases. Importers or exporters wishing to trade any of the products on the negative list 
must first obta in a license from IUD. The license, however, is only issued after the importer/exporter 
obtains the necessary certificates from the ministry or agency. For example, in order to export plants 
or animal products, the exporter would require a certificate from  the Ministry of Agriculture and quite 
possibly the Ministry of Health. The certificates along with an application form are submitted to IUD 
in order to obtain a license to export. Though the application form is available electronically it must 
be printed,  completed and physically submitted to IUD along with the supporting documentation for 
processing. Processing of licenses by IUD is completely manual and the Department has to process 
large volumes daily (on average over 100 applications are submitted dail y, the majority of which are 
for gold). As there is no system that connects IUD to any of the agencies that issue certificates, any 
due diligence must be done manually via the telephone. Depending on the volume of applications 
received and the extent to wh ich forms have been filled correctly and accompanied by the required 
certificates, it can take up to a month to obtain a license. Even for products that are not on the 
negative list, the commercial import or export transaction must still be registered with  IUD.  
5.3.  Stakeholders in the private sector involved in importing and exporting believe the length of 
time required to get import and export licenses remains unsatisfactory, and this in turn results in 
high transaction costs and thereby reducing the competit iveness of Suriname as a location for 
investment and doing business.  
5.4.  The ASYCUDA World platform makes provision for a link for an Electronic Single Window (ESW) 
and the GOS has taken the decision to establish an ESW system which will be coordinated and 
managed by IUD. The ESW is an administrative facility that greatly enhances trade by making it 
possible for importers and exporters to submit all the necessary trade related documentation in one 
location, in this case, electronically online. The ESW considera bly reduces unproductive bureaucratic 
inefficiencies that create barriers to trade. Its establishment and operation will reduce release time 
to less than 48 hours. An ESW is actively promoted as a best practice by the World Customs 
Organisation (WCO), the Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE 
Framework), the Revised Kyoto Convention, UNCTAD, and the World Trade Organi zation (WTO).  
5.5.  Trade facilitation is a policy goal of the Government of Suriname (GOS) to help achieve 
developmen t goals of increased exports, economic competitiveness, and economic diversification. 
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) is leading trade facilitation efforts of the GOS, coordinating 
closely with agencies such as the Suriname Customs and Excise Depa rtment (CED). CED is one 
critical agency with trade facilitation responsibilities, but it is under considerable stress from (a) a 
high number of vacancies at the senior executive levels and under resourcing, (b) an organizational 
structure that is not idea lly designed for managing in a global environment, and (c) limited 
mechanisms for delegation of authority to streamline operations. As a result of these and other 
factors including the risk management process, the post -clearance audit, and the use and WT/TPR/G/391 • Suriname  
 
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  mana gement of ASYCUDAWorld, the management of Suriname's international trade program 
requires sustained reforms without which trade facilitation constraints will continue to affect the 
competitiveness of firms in Suriname.  
5.6.  With the financial aid from the UNCTA D as well as the WTO, Suriname has already organized 
two need assessments workshops in which the participants were vastly informed as well as educated 
in identifying the "A", "B" and "C" Trade Facilitation category measures.  Category "A' measure has 
alread y been notified to the WTO; Category "B" and "C" need approval from Parliament before these 
can be notified.  Sensitization sessions are being planned for this year in order to bring more 
awareness to the importance of trade facilitation in the world tradin g system.  
5.7.  To cut trading costs and time, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism in cooperation with 
the Ministry of Finance is setting up an Electronic Single Window (ESW) in order to transparently 
process relevant documents related to the import, exp ort and transit of goods.  
5.8.  An Electronic Single Window is necessary for international trade in this digital age/ era and is 
the most important tool for trade facilitation . It is a digital platform that enables electronic processing 
of pre -issued authorizati ons, import and export permits, certificates or approval that are required 
by various authorities. This is necessary for the implementation of import and export procedures 
and makes trading procedures simple and transparent. The need for implementation of an Electronic 
Single Window has been identified by the ministry itself since 2014 and has been identified by every 
international economic and trade organization as a crucial factor in improving international trade 
processes.  
5.9.  In this regard Suriname started  the development and implementation of our Electronic Single 
Window with a public and private partnership initiative. The aim of this system is to increase 
transparency and reduce time and administrative procedures. This in line with the policy of the 
government to transform the whole government system into a excellence government model 
according to the Baldrige model.  
5.10.   In this context, the SURINAME Electronic Single Window (SESW) is very important because 
the provision of services by the government with reg ard to the import, export and transit of goods 
makes electronically more efficient and reduces costs.  
The advantages:  
• It reduces the time when trade procedures are settled because the government 
departments are electronically connected.  
• It promotes interac tions and understanding between government departments involved in 
the import, export, and transition of products . 
• It facilitates the tracing of documents through a tracking system and it can be checked at 
what stage and at which governmental authority or service the process is located.  
• It promotes the collection of import duties and other government transaction costs . 
• It reduces the costs of the government, because there is a transition from paper to digital 
services via ICT.  
5.11.   For the trader and production companies this means that procedures run faster and all 
processes up to and including customs clearance and release of goods run faster. The trader does 
not have to submit the documents to the authorities in person, but can do everything from his 
computer or mobile. The trader can use this system to gain access to all necessary trade -related 
documents via a single digital log -in to the relevant authorities and send them to Customs, Ministry 
of Agriculture, Bureau Public Health and the Ministry of Trade, Ind ustry and Tourism, the Import, 
Export and Foreign Exchange Control department. On -duty officials can check the documentation 
electronically and in turn inform the trader electronically of the result of the processing process. The 
Suriname Electronic Single  Window will electronically connect the trader and the public authorities.  
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