WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/DCS/W/SUR
24 January 2003
(03-0503)
Trade in Services Original:  English
SURINAME
Draft consolidated Schedule of Specific Commitments1
Attached is a draft consolidated version of the Schedule of Specific Commitments of
Suriname in word format.  This document  does not substitute for the legally binding commitments
undertaken by Suriname in its Schedule of Specific Commitments (GATS/SC/80;GATS/SC/80/Suppl.1).
The draft consolidated version of the Schedule wa s prepared by the Secretariat, at the request
of Members, to facilitate the process of negotiations, including the presentation of initial offers.
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1 This document has been prepared, in English only, under the Secretariat's own responsibility and without
prejudice to the positions of Members and to  their rights and obligations under the WTO.S/DCS/W/SUR
Page 2SURINAME – 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 Limitat ions on  National Treatment Additional Commitments
I. HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS
ALL SECTORS
INCLUDED IN THISSCHEDULE
4) Unbound except for measures
concerning senior managerial
personnel and technical experts not
available in the local labour market4) 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
ServicesSee attachment additional
commitments onregulatory disciplines.
A regulatory body will be
established in 1998.
The Government will
submit to Parliament a newdraft law onTelecommunication.  Thislaw will provide the
legislative framework for
the provision oftelecommunicationservices reflectingtechnological advances
and pro-competitive
practices in the sector.S/DCS/W/SUR
Page 3Mode 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 Limitat ions on  National Treatment Additional Commitments
For public use
- Fixed network 
insfrastructure
- Local,
domestic, longdistance andinternational
(a) Voice telephone services
(including public pay telephone services, operatorand emergency services)
(d) Telex services
(f) facsimile services1) 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.
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.1) None
2) NoneS/DCS/W/SUR
Page 4Mode 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 Limitat ions on  National Treatment Additional Commitments
(g) Private leased circuit
services3) The duopoly operators are granted
exclusivity for a period of five years
ending on 1 January 2003.  Beforethe expiration of this period, theGovernment will determine thecircumstances under which additionaloperators can be licensed.  Foreign
equity participation which is
applicable as of 1 January 1998 islimited to 40%.3) None Duopoly was 
established to provide 
services in competition.  Duopolyoperators have the obligation to provide services to the 
undeserved population
centers.
(o) Other servicesFixed satellite services4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measures.4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measures.
For public use and non-
public use on leased lines
only:
(b) Packet-switched data
transmission services
(c) Circuit-switched data
transmission services
(o) Other services:  Internet
and Internet access services(except voice)
Teleconferencing services1) Bypass of the network facilities of the
duopoly operators is not permitted.
Long distance and international
traffic must be routed through theoperators that are licensed to supplylong distance and internationaltransmission 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
horizontal measures1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measuresS/DCS/W/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 Limitat ions on  National Treatment Additional Commitments
For non-public use:
(a) Voice telephone services1) Only on network facilities supplied
by the exclusive duopoly operators.
Bypass and resale of excess capacityare not permitted.
2) None3) Only on network facilities supplied
by the exclusive duopoly operators.
Bypass and resale of excess capacity
are not permitted.
4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measures1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measures
For public use:
(o) Other services:
Mobile services(terrestrialand satellite based)
- Cellular/mobile telephone
services
- Personal communications
services1) Licenses are granted for a period of
five years ending on 1 January 2003.
Before the expiration of this period,the Government will determine thecircumstances under which additionaloperators can be licensed.  Bypass ofthe network facilities of the duopoly
operators is not permitted.
2) None1) None
2) None
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 asof 1 January 1998 is limited to 40%.
4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measures.3) None
4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measuresS/DCS/W/SUR
Page 6Mode 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 Limitat ions on  National Treatment 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 consultingservices1) None
2) None
3) None4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measures1) None
2) None
3) None4) Unbound except as indicated under
horizontal measures
9. TOURISM AND TRAVEL
RELATED SERVICES
A. Hotels and Restaurants
(CPC 641 – CPC 643)1) None
2) None3) None4) Unbound, except as indicated in the
horizontal section1) None
2) None3) None4) Unbound, except as indicated in the
horizontal section
B. Travel agencies and tour
operators
(CPC 7471)1) None
2) None3) None4) Unbound, except as indicated in
horizontal section1) None
2) None3) None4) Unbound, except as indicated in
horizontal sectionS/DCS/W/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 Limitat ions on  National Treatment Additional Commitments
11. TRANSPORT SERVICES
C. Air Transport Services
(a) Aircraft  repair and
maintenance services11) None2) None3) None4) Unbound, except as indicated in
horizontal section1) None
2) None3) None4) Unbound, except as indicated in
horizontal section
(b) Selling and marketing of air
transport services11) None2) None3) None
4) Unbound, except as indicated in
horizontal section1) None
2) None3) None
4) Unbound, except as indicated in
horizontal section
(c) Computer reservation
system (CRS) services11) None2) None3) None
4) Unbound, except as indicated in
horizontal section1) None
2) None3) None
4) Unbound, except as indicated in
horizontal section
                                                          
1 As defined in paragraph 6 of the Annex on Air Transport Services.S/DCS/W/SUR
Page 8
REFERENCE PAPER
Scope
The following are definitions and principles 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 technically 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 the 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 competitors with anti-competitive results; and
(c) not making available to other services suppliers on a timely basis technical 
information about essential facilities and commercially relevant information which 
are necessary for them to provide services.
2. Interconnection
2.1 This section applies to linking with suppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks or services in order to allow the users of one supplier to communicate with users of anotherS/DCS/W/SUR
Page 9
supplier and to access services provided by another supplier, where specific commitments are
undertaken.
2.2 Interconnection to be ensured
Interconnection with a major supplier will be ensured at any technically feasible point in the
network.  Such interconnection is provided.
(a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditions (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 facilities;
(b) in a timely fashion, on terms, conditions (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 does 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 qualities.
2.3 Public availability of the procedures for interconnection negotiations the procedures
applicable for interconnection 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 terms, conditions and rates for interconnection within
a reasonable period of time, to the extent that 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-discriminatory and competitively neutral manner and are not more
burdensome than necessary for the kind of universal service defined by the member.
4. Public availability of licensing criteria
Where a licence is required, the following will be made publicly available:S/DCS/W/SUR
Page 10
(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 for the denial of a 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 scarce resources, including frequencies, numbers
and rights of way, will be carried out in an objective, timely, transparent and non-discriminatory
manner.  The current state of allocated frequency bands will be made available, but detailedidentification of frequencies allocated for specific government uses is not required.
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