“Teachers and police officers did not belong to the social affairs group, but in fact they can now be found at the doorstep of Social Affairs,” Minister Diana Pokie of Social Affairs and Housing said on Wednesday before the start of the Council of Ministers meeting.
The minister acknowledged that the public is facing great hardship and that it will become even more difficult if the government soon ends the fuel subsidy. “We are not prepared for that and it will become more difficult for our target group.” According to her, even civil servants are currently finding it very difficult to make ends meet.
The minister noted that many government employees have applied for construction subsidies to renovate their homes. “In fact, this facility is intended for the socially vulnerable, people who are included in the ministry’s social registry.” Pokie said policy must be pursued in such a way that teachers and other civil servants do not fall behind. According to her, the government must be as creative as possible with the limited state resources available.
President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons recently said during a press conference that the fuel subsidy is no longer guaranteed. The head of state said that the entire world is feeling the effects of the war between the United States of America and Iran. The effects on Surinamese society have so far been minimal, but this could take more serious forms in the future.
Together with Staatsolie, the government has taken certain steps to protect society against major increases in fuel prices. The government subsidises SRD 300 million each month for this purpose. “What people currently pay at the pump is not the actual price of fuel,” the head of state said. Furthermore, civil servants and those equivalent to them have received a financial increase, placing additional pressure on the government.
The president further stated that the sharp increase in fuel prices would hit the production and transport sectors very hard. The government therefore chose to subsidise fuel prices. “But I cannot guarantee that we will continue doing this. As long as we can, we will do so, and we will continue talking with Staatsolie.”
