NPS parliamentarian Poetini Atompai warns that developments in the oil and gas sector could increase social inequality in Suriname. In an interview with Apintie TV, he advocates timely government policy to prevent citizens from being further squeezed by rising costs.
According to Atompai, there is a risk that the expected economic growth will benefit only a limited group, while more people struggle to make ends meet. He refers to the arrival of hotels and ports and rising real estate prices.
“The cheapest plots in Suriname, with electricity, water and paved roads, start at EUR 22,000. Who can afford to buy them?” the parliamentarian asks. According to him, real estate prices have risen by fifty percent in the past period. He fears that land and housing will therefore become increasingly unaffordable for more citizens.
Atompai also refers to President Jennifer Simons’ statement that Suriname is insufficiently prepared for the developments expected from 2028. According to the member of De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament), the government must now take measures to cushion the consequences for the population.
He advocates, among other things, market-based rates for electricity and water, with targeted subsidies for citizens who cannot afford those rates.
The parliamentarian stresses that visible development does not automatically mean that everyone’s living conditions improve. “The country will be beautiful, part of it will be developed, but the situation of the people who have greater difficulty getting by is nothing to write home about,” Atompai said.
