The waterfront of Albina is getting a new look with ten business units and an adapted waste collection system. The projects are intended to contribute to a cleaner, better-organised and more attractive environment for residents, entrepreneurs and tourists.
The facilities on Kaplerstraat were inaugurated on Thursday, September 3. They were realised through cooperation between the district commissioner’s office and the business community.
According to district commissioner Marvin Vyent of Marowijne-Noordoost, the streetscape was previously dominated by trucks loading and unloading goods between dilapidated sales stalls. With the construction of ten new units, the commissioner’s office aims to support entrepreneurs while also better organising the area.
Waste management is also being addressed. Vyent says clearing waste that washes ashore via the river costs the commissioner’s office around SRD 1 million per month. To cover part of the costs, special red garbage bags have been introduced.
The bags have been available at shops in Albina since September 1. From October 1, households and other users must put out their waste in these bags. From November 1, the garbage truck will, according to the district commissioner, collect only waste placed in the red bags.
Vyent explains that the government pays for the collection of household waste. For the collection and processing of business waste, the commissioner’s office must make additional arrangements and incur costs. By purchasing the red bags, the community contributes to these expenses, he said.
He calls on residents and entrepreneurs to take responsibility and keep their surroundings clean.
De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament) member Geneviévre Jordan calls the work an important development for Albina. According to her, Kaplerstraat was busy and disorderly for a long time. She believes the approach should be extended to other parts of the border town.
“It is time for Albina to get a different face and become organised,” Jordan said. According to her, the image of a messy town must be dealt with.
Regional police commander Henry Kia of Marowijne expects the redevelopment can also contribute to safety. According to him, a well-designed and maintained environment can help combat crime and nuisance. The new organisation is, in his view, a first step, which must be followed by supervision and enforcement.
Kia considers the image of Albina as a particularly unsafe place to be exaggerated. There is crime, according to him, but the situation is not as serious as is sometimes thought in Paramaribo. Arguments and fights are partly the result of the local hustle culture, according to the police commander.
According to Kia, the traffic situation has meanwhile become less chaotic. He is also holding talks with taxi operators on further measures to better organise traffic in Albina.
