Government temporarily blocks 15 per cent pay rise for Cabinet and DNA

The 15 percent salary increase included in the new salary scales from September 1, 2026, will temporarily not be applied to members of the government and De Nationale Assemblée. The decision was taken on Tuesday, September 15, during the government meeting. This temporarily puts the increase on hold for these two groups, while the increase for civil servants and other eligible recipients will proceed under the previously announced arrangement.

The reason for the decision is the resolution of September 8, 2026, which establishes the new salary scales by occupational group. It stipulates that civil servants and equivalent employees will receive a 15 percent salary adjustment effective September 1. Minister Marinus Bee of Binnenlandse Zaken previously stated that the full increase would be processed at the end of September and would not be paid in two instalments.

The government now says it needs more time to examine the consequences for political officeholders and to discuss the matter further. The cabinet must review the decision again in October. According to the government statement, the outcome of that evaluation will then be shared clearly and transparently with society.

Criticism of 15 percent salary increase for senior officials

The discussion over the 15 percent salary increase has received increasing political and public attention in recent weeks. A key point of criticism was that a general percentage salary increase, through existing legal linkages, could also pass through to officials who already receive significantly higher incomes than many civil servants.

NDP parliamentarian Rossellie Cotino previously pointed out in parliament the consequences for high incomes. She called for attention to a salary cap for the president and the way salary adjustments can pass through to other senior officials. The discussion also involved the judiciary, which has since been kept outside the automatic increase through a separate process.

The criticism is mainly directed at the automatic increase in salaries at the political top.

Petition against increase for DNA members

Criticism was also voiced outside parliament. Rudy Drielinger and Radjinderkoemar Mathoera submitted a petition to De Nationale Assemblée on September 8. They drew attention to rising living costs and stated that DNA members already receive a substantial income. According to the petitioners, a further salary increase for representatives of the people should therefore be critically examined.

Key News previously reported on this petition against the salary increase for DNA members. The petitioners linked their objections to the financial position of many citizens and the pressure that higher living costs place on households. The discussion therefore concerns not only the percentage, but also the distribution of income improvements.

Proposal to break the automatic linkage

VHP parliamentary group leader Asis Gajadien previously proposed temporarily withholding the salary adjustment for the director of Algemeen Bestuur. According to him, the president’s remuneration is linked to that position, meaning that an increase for the director can automatically pass through to the head of state and subsequently to other political officeholders.

Gajadien wants to end that automatic linkage structurally and has indicated that a private member’s bill is being prepared for this purpose. His proposal was explicitly not intended to halt the 15 percent salary increase for ordinary civil servants. According to him, it concerned solely the special legal linkage to the political top.

Also discussion on the position of DNA members

VHP parliamentarian Mahinder Jogi has also spoken in favour of separating the financial position of DNA members from that of civil servants. According to him, parliamentarians fulfil a political function and their remuneration should not automatically rise in line with general salary adjustments for civil servants. He believes that the remuneration of representatives of the people should be regulated separately.

NPS parliamentary group leader Jerrel Pawiroredjo likewise stated that the increase should not automatically apply to the assembly, the government and the judiciary. A recurring argument in the criticism is that a percentage increase has a much greater effect in absolute amounts for someone with a high salary than for an employee at the bottom of the pay scale.

Judiciary already treated separately

A separate process had previously been announced for the judiciary. President Jennifer Simons held consultations on this with the Hof van Justitie. According to Starnieuws, it was agreed that members of the judiciary would not automatically be included in the general 15 percent salary increase. The financial position of judges is being handled separately.

The measure for cabinet members and DNA members thus fits into a broader discussion on the remuneration of senior officials. This also raises the question of whether the current legal linkages are still desirable and whether future salary increases for civil servants should automatically have consequences for political officeholders.

Evaluation of 15 percent salary increase in October

The official resolution on the new salary scales was published by the Stichting voor de Rechtsorde in Suriname. It shows that the general increase for civil servants and equivalent employees applies from September 1, 2026. The decision now announced specifically concerns the temporary withholding of the increase for members of the cabinet and De Nationale Assemblée.

The evaluation in October must clarify how the government intends to further address the remuneration of political officeholders and whether structural changes will be made to the existing linkages. It must also become clear how the temporary decision will be implemented legally and whether additional decisions or legislative amendments will be required.

Civil servants retain announced increase

For civil servants, meanwhile, the previously announced 15 percent salary increase remains the starting point. Minister Bee previously stated that the full increase must be processed at the end of September. According to the information currently available, the temporary measure for the cabinet and parliament changes nothing about that general salary adjustment.

Attention is therefore shifting to the structural relationship between civil service salaries and the remuneration of the political top. The outcome of the inquiry and the October evaluation will have to show whether the temporary withholding of the increase will be followed by a permanent change to the current system.