RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/S/O/SUR 
3 March 2004  
 (04-0943) 
Council for Trade in Services  
Special Session 
 Original:   English 
 
 
 
SURINAME 
 
Initial Offer  
 
 
 The following communication, dated 19 February  2004, from the delegation of Suriname, is 
being circulated to the Members of the Council for Trade in Services. 
 
_______________ 
 
 
 In accordance with Paragraph 15 of the 2001 D oha Ministerial Declaration, the Government 
of the Republic of Suriname hereby submits its initial conditional offer. 
  
 The Government of the Republic of Suriname reserves the right to revise, amend, supplement 
or withdraw all or part of it an any time prior to the conclusion of the services negotiations.   In the light of the above we request that Surina me's initial conditional offer is circulated among the 
Members of the Council for Trade in Services.   
 
_______________  
 
  
  TN/S/O/SUR
 Page 3SURINAME – SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS 
Mode of Supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
I. HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 ALL SECTORS 
INCLUDED IN THIS 
SCHEDULE    
 
 4) Unbound except for measures concerning 
senior managerial personnel and technical 
experts not available in the local labour 
market 
 4) None for measures concerning categories of 
persons indicated in market access. Unbound 
for all other categories of persons  
II. SECTOR SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS 
2. COMMUNICATION 
SERVICES 
 
C. Telecommunication 
Services  
 
For public use  
 - Fixed network 
infrastructure 
 - Local, domestic, long  
distance and 
international 
 
  
 
 
  
 
1) Bypass of the duopoly operators is not 
permitted.  Long -distance and international 
traffic must be routed through the operators that are licensed to supply long-distance 
services.  Deliberately reversing the real 
direction of this international traffic is not allowed. 
  
 
 
  
 
1) None  
 See attachment additional 
commitments on 
regulatory disciplines. 
 
A regulatory body will be 
established in 1998. 
 
The Government will 
submit to Parliament a new 
draft law on 
Telecommunication.  This law will provide the 
legislative framework for 
the provision of telecommunication 
services reflecting 
technological advances and pro-competitive 
practices in the sector. 
  
 TN/S/O/SUR 
Page 4 Mode of Supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
(a) Voice telephone services 
(including public pay 
telephone services, operator 
and emergency services) 
(d) Telex services  
       (CPC 7523**) 
(f) Facsimile services 
       (CPC 7521**+ 7529**) 
(g) Private leased circuit 
Services  
      (CPC 7522**+ 7523**) 
(o) Other services  
 Fixed satellite services 
 2) Long distance and international traffic must be 
routed through the operators that are licensed 
to supply long distance services.  Deliberately 
reversing the real direction of this 
international traffic is not allowed. 
3) The duopoly operators are granted exclusivity 
for a period of five years ending on 
1 January 2003.  Before the expiration of this 
period, the Government will determine the 
circumstances under which additional 
operators can be licensed.  Foreign equity 
participation which is applicable as of 1 January 1998 is limited to 40%. 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
in the 
horizontal measures  section . 
 2) None 
 
 
 
 
3) None 
 
 
 
 
 
  
4) Unbound except as indicated unde
r in the 
horizontal measures  section . Duopoly was established 
to provide services in 
competition.  Duopoly 
operators have the 
obligation to provide services to the undeserved 
population centres. 
For public use and non-  
public use on leased lines  
only: 
    
(b) Packet-switched data 
transmission services  
        (CPC 7523**) 
(c) Circuit-switched data 
transmission services 
        (CPC 7523 **) 
(o) Other services:  Internet 
and Internet access services 
(except voice)  
 
 Teleconferencing services  1) Bypass of the network facilities of the duopoly 
operators is not permitted.  Long -distance and 
international traffic must be routed through 
the operators that are licensed to supply long -
distance and international transmission 
facilities. 
2) None 
3) None, except that bypass of the network 
facilities of the duopoly operators is not 
permitted. 
4) Unbound except as indicated under
 in the 
horizontal measures  section . 
 1) None 
 
 
  
 
2) None 
3) None 
 
 
4) Unbound except as indicated under
 in the 
horizontal measures  section .  
  
  TN/S/O/SUR
 Page 5Mode of Supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
For non-public use : 
 (a) Voice telephone services 
        (CPC 7521)  
 1) Only on network facilities supplied by the 
exclusive duopoly operators.  Bypass and 
resale of excess capacity are not permitted. 
2) None 
3) Only on network facilities supplied by the 
exclusive operators.  Bypass and resale of 
excess capacity are not permitted. 
4) Unbound except as indicated under
 in the 
horizontal measures  section . 
 1) None 
 
 2) None 
3) None 
 
 4) Unbound except as indicated under
 in the 
horizontal measures  section . 
  
 
  For public use
: 
 
(o) Other services:  Mobile services (terrestrial 
and satellite based) 
 
- Cellular/mobile telephone 
services 
  
 
 1) Licenses are granted for a period of five years 
ending on 1 January 2003.  Before the 
expiration of this period, the Government will determine the circumstances under which 
additional operators can be licensed.  Bypass 
of the network facilities of the duopoly operators is not permitted. 
2) None  
 
 1) None 
 
  
 
  
2) None  
 
- Personal communications 
services 3) Licenses are granted for a period of five years 
ending on 1 January 2003.  Before the expiration of this period the Government will 
determine the circumstances under which 
additional operators can be licensed.  Foreign equity participation which is applicable as of 
1 January 1998 is limited to 40%. 
4) Unbound except as indicated under
 in the  
horizontal measures  section . 3) None 
  
 
  
 
4) Unbound except as indicated under
 in the 
horizontal measures  section . 
   
 TN/S/O/SUR 
Page 6 Mode of Supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
For public use  
 (o) Other services: 
- Mobile data services 
- Paging services - Trunked radio systems  
 services (excluding phone  
 patching) - Telecommunications  
 equipment sales 
- Telecommunications   equipment, rental   maintenance, connection,  
 repair and consulting  
 services  
 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
 in the  
horizontal measures  section . 
 
  1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under
 in the 
horizontal measures  section . 
 
  
 
7. FINANCIAL 
SERVICES 
A. All insurance and 
insurance- related  services  
(c) Reinsurance  & retrocession 
( CPC 81299*)  
 1) None 
2) None 
3) Declaration for the assessment  of statue 
and the issue of a declaration of no 
objection 
4) Unbound, except as indicated in the 
horizontal section 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) Declaration for the assessment of statue and 
the issue  of a declaration of no objection 
4) Unbound, except as indicated in the 
horizontal section.   
9. TOURISM AND TRAVEL 
RELATED SERVICES 
    
A. Hotels and Restaurants  
 ( CPC  641 – CPC  643) 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
  
  
  TN/S/O/SUR
 Page 7Mode of Supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
B. Travel agencies and tour 
operators  
 ( CPC  7471) 
 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
  
 
11. TRANSPORT SERVICES 
    
C. Air Transport Services  
    
(a) Aircraft  repair and 
maintenance services1 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
  
(b) Selling and marketing of air 
transport services1 
 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
  
(c) Computer reservation 
system (CRS) services1 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal 
section 
  
                                                           
 1 As defined in paragraph 6 of the Annex on Air Transport Services. 
 TN/S/O/SUR 
Page 8 
 
 
  
 
REFERENCE PAPER  
 Scope
 
 
The following are definitions and principl es on the regulatory framework for the basic 
telecommunications services.  Definitions
 
 
Users  mean service consumers and service suppliers. 
 
Essential facilities  mean facilities of a public telecommunications transport network or service 
that 
  (a) are exclusively or predominantly provided by a single or limited number of 
 suppliers;  and 
 
(b) cannot feasibly be economically or tec hnically substituted in order to provide a 
service. 
 
A major supplier
 is a supplier which has the ability to materially affect the terms of 
participation (having regard to price and supply) in  the relevant market for basic telecommunications 
services as a result of :   (a) control over essential facilities;  or  
 (b) use of its position in the market. 
 1. Competitive safeguards
 
 1.1 Prevention of anti-competitive practices in telecommunications
 
 
Appropriate measures shall be maintained for th e purpose of preventing suppliers who, alone 
or together, are a major supplier from engaging  in or continuing anti-competitive practices. 
 1.2 Safeguards
 
 
The anti-competitive practices referred to above shall include in particular: 
  (a) engaging in anti-competitive cross-subsidization;   (b) using information obtained from comp etitors with anti-competitive results;  and 
 
(c) not making available to other services suppliers on a timely basis technical 
information about essential facilities and co mmercially relevant information which 
are necessary for them to provide services. 
 2. Interconnection
 
 
2.1 This section applies to linking with supplie rs providing public telecommunications transport 
networks or services in order to allow the users of  one supplier to communicate with users of another  TN/S/O/SUR 
 Page 9 
 
 
 supplier and to access services provided by anot her supplier, where specific commitments are 
undertaken. 
 2.2 Interconnection to be ensured
 
 
Interconnection with a major supplier will be ensu red at any technically feasible point in the 
network.  Such interconnection is provided. 
 
(a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditi ons (including technical standards and 
specifications) and rates and of a quality no less favourable than that provided for its own like services or for like services of non- affiliated service suppliers or for its 
subsidiaries or other affiliates; 
 
(b) in a timely fashion, on terms, cond itions (including technical standards and 
specifications) and cost-oriented rates that are transparent, reasonable, having regard 
to economic feasibility, and sufficient unbundled so that the supplier need not pay for network components or facilities that it do es not require for the service to be 
provided;  and 
 
(c) upon request, at points in addition to the network termination points offered to the 
majority of users, subject to charges that  reflect the cost of construction of necessary 
additional facilities. 
 
2.3 Public availability of the pro cedures for interconnection negotiations
  
 
The procedures applicable for interconnecti on to a major supplier will be made publicly 
available.  
2.4 Transparency of interconnection arrangements
 
 
It is ensured  that a major supplier will make  publicly available either its interconnection 
agreements or a reference interconnection offer.  2.5 Interconnection:  dispute settlement
 
 
A service supplier requesting interconnection with  a major supplier will have recourse, either: 
  (a) at any time or;  
 (b) after a reasonable period of time has been made publicly known 
 to an independent domestic body, which may be a regulatory body as referred to in paragraph 5 
below, to resolve disputes regarding appropriate te rms, conditions and rates for interconnection within 
a reasonable period of time, to the extent th at these have not been established previously. 
 
3. Universal service
 
 
Any Member has the right to define the kind of universal service obligation it wishes to 
maintain.  Such obligations will not be regarded as anti-competitive per se , provided they are 
administered in a transparent, non-discriminator y and competitively neutral manner and are not more 
burdensome than necessary for the kind of universal service defined by the Member. 
 
 TN/S/O/SUR 
Page 10 
 
 
  
4. Public availability of licensing criteria  
 
Where a licence is required, the following will be made publicly available: 
 
(a) all the licensing criteria and the period of time normally required to reach a decision 
concerning an application for a licence and;  
  (b) the terms and conditions  of individual licences.  
  The reasons for the denial of  licence will be made known to the applicant upon request. 
 
5. Independent regulators
 
 
The regulatory body is separate from, and not accountable to, any supplier of basic 
telecommunications services.  The decisions of and the procedures used by regulators shall be 
impartial with respect to all market participants. 
 6. Allocation and use of scarce resources
 
 
Any procedures for the allocation and use of s carce resources, including frequencies, numbers 
and rights of way, will be carried out in an obj ective, timely, transparent and non-discriminatory 
manner.  The current state of allocated frequenc y bands will be made available, but detailed 
identification of frequencies allocated for specific government uses is not required.  
__________