On the 27th of August 2021, the Indo-Caribbean Society hosted a webinar on the title “Investment Opportunities in the Republic of Suriname: Incentives, and Promotions.” Honorable Minister Albert Ramdin was the keynote speaker of the webinar. He is the Republic of Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business, and International Cooperation.
Mr. Saju Bhaskar, Founder and President of Texila American University Consortium and the Indo-Caribbean Society delivered the inaugural address. Mr. Syam Kumar, CEO of Texila American University, moderated the webinar.
The Republic of Suriname is a South American country located on the northeastern Atlantic coast. With a population of around 600,000, Suriname is the smallest sovereign state on the continent. French Guiana, Guyana, and Brazil are its neighbors. Suriname is a tropical country with an extensive tree cover. This abundant greenery helps with the country’s efforts toward climate change mitigation.
Suriname is a developing nation with increased human development. But Suriname’s economy is dependent heavily on its natural resources. Gold, petroleum, bauxite, and agricultural products are chief among the resources.
The Indo-Caribbean Society has been at the forefront of fostering collaborations between India and the Caribbean region. We promote collaborative actions among people, cultural organizations, and businesses. The Indo-Caribbean society seeks to build connections between economic, cultural, and social environments.
In this webinar, Mr. Ramdin speaks about Suriname’s various investment opportunities for both national and international investors. The minister has over 20 years of experience in international negotiation, multilateral diplomacy, development assistance, public policy development and execution, strategic trade and business facilitation, project management, fundraising, and critical expertise in competitiveness.
In his speech, Mr. Ramdin emphasized the need for modernization of Suriname’s investment legislation and the steps taken to achieve that. He also stressed the importance of national investors while also supporting international investors. Mining, agriculture, tourism, fishery, energy, and the food industry were part of the discussion.
The speaker pointed out the abundance of bauxite available in Suriname. He also mentioned his visit to Dubai to discuss business opportunities with Dubai’s fourth largest bauxite processor. On the note of agriculture and the food industry, he spoke about food security and market availability.
He mentioned the partnership between Guyana and Suriname to develop the business environment in the Caribbean region jointly. The trade and investment promotion agency, in its final stage of setup, deserves mention while talking about the webinar. The minister detailed the procedure to register with this agency.