Verkavelingsprojecten

Geography

Suriname is located on the north-east coast of South America between the 2nd and the 6th degree northern latitude and the 54th and the 58th degree longitude western.

The country is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Federal Republic of Brazil, on the west by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and on the east by French Guyana. The borders are 597 km (Brazil), 600 km (Guyana) and 510 km (French Guyana). The coastline of Suriname has a length of 386 km. The territory is 163,820 sq km.

The country’s topography encompasses a narrow coastal plain that extends from east to west, a savanna belt, and a tropical highland-rainforest that borders on Brazil.

The principal rivers are the Corantijn river on the Guyana border, the Marowijne river on the French Guyana border, and in the middle the Suriname river on which the capital city of Paramaribo is situated. The Tumuc Humac mountains are on the south border with Brazil.

The capital city Paramaribo lies on the West Bank of the Suriname River. The name is supposedly derived from ‘Parmurbo’, an indigenous village dating back to the seventeenth century. Paramaribo is an extended city with few tall buildings. Its white-painted monumental buildings with a foundation of red brick distinguish the historic city center. In 2002, because of its historical importance, the UN Cultural Organization UNESCO placed the inner city of Paramaribo on the World Heritage List.

Climate

Suriname lies outside the hurricane zone and has a tropical humid climate, with dry and rainy seasons.

The temperature varies between 23.3 C and 31.3 C with an average of 27.3 C. The relative humidity is between 79-81. The average rainfall lies between 144.6 mm and 211.2 mm.

The dry seasons last from February till April (short dry season) and from Mid August till November (long dry season). The rainy seasons last from May till July (long rainy season) and from December till January (short rainy season).

Population

Suriname has a population of 487,024 (midyear 2004). Life expectancy is 70.3 years. In table 1.2.1 the age structure is presented.

Table 1.1 Age-structure (2004)

Source: General Bureau of Statistics

The life expectancy is 70.3 years.

About 90% of the population lives in the coastal area. About 70% of the population lives in the capital city Paramaribo and district Wanica. The population density in these two districts is 464.3. The population density for the whole country is 2.7.

Languages

The official language is Dutch, as Suriname is a former colony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. There is also Sranang Tongo, a lingua franca, and the languages of the various ethnic groups, of which the Sarnami of the Hindostani and the Javanese of the Javanese are the most important. English is widely spoken.

Culture and Religions

Suriname has a unique ethnic diversity and belongs to the twenty most ethnic diversified countries in the world. The descendants of the Indian indentured laborers, the Hindostani, are the largest ethnic group. Other large ethnic groups are the Creoles (persons of mixed European and African race) and Javanese. Smaller groups are Maroons, Amerindians, Chinese, Europeans and Lebanese. In table 1.2 estimates of the percentages of the ethnic groups are provided.

Table 1.2 Ethnic diversity of the Surinamese population

The various ethnic groups have developed a very peaceful way of living together, very tolerant to each other’s cultures and enjoying each other’s cuisines and religious festivities. The cultural diversity and the observance of cultural and religious freedom in Suriname resulted in the richness of the Surinamese community. Some 16 different languages are being spoken in Suriname as local languages. In the interior the maroon society has preserved the 17th and 18th century African lifestyle, with the traditional animist religion, music, dance and folk-art the way it existed in 17th century West Africa. The Amerindian, indigenous culture has also been preserved. The languages, still spoken in the various tribes are the same as before the West European invasion. Culture and tradition have been preserved by their way of living, closely to nature, while a strong consciousness of the value of tradition helps to secure the modern conservationist vision on their culture. The Creole culture is strongly influenced by the plantation slave period of the past centuries, with African, Jewish (especially in the cuisine) and Christian elements dominantly present. Art, theater (the Dou), dance, music, dresses, cuisine, costumes, the Sranang language, and religious festivals are typical for the Surinamese blend of Creole culture. The Chinese immigration started with only males, which implied that sooner or later these males would have to choose companions out of other groups, and indeed, the Chinese mainly mixed with the Creole population. However, considerable Chinese traditions were preserved and the Chinese culture is until these days still present in the Surinamese society. The Chinese cuisine of Suriname is famous and other cultural aspects, as dresses, costumes, festivities and holidays are still in use or observed in Suriname. The Hindostani have preserved their religion and language as well. In the thirties of the last century, the traditional wedding ceremonies of the Hindustani population were recognized as official according to law, thus preserving these cultural customs as part of the Surinamese blend. Art, theater, traditional dances, music, dresses, cuisine, costumes, the Sarnami language, religious festivals (both Hindu and Muslim) are still in use. In the Americas the Javanese ethnic group of Suriname is really unique. Tradition, art, cuisine, typical dresses, traditional dances and theater (wayang), and also holidays are living an active part of daily life. The main religions are Christianity (41%), Hinduism (20%) and Islam (13%). The most important Christian denominations are the Roman Catholics and the Moravian Brethren. About 80% of the Hindostani are Hindu. Muslims are mainly Javanese and a minority of the Hindostani.

Government Structure

Suriname has a strong democratic tradition dating back to 1949 when general suffrage was introduced, with an interruption during 1980-1987 when military government prevailed. Suriname scores a 1 for political rights and a 2 for civil liberties on the Freedom Index of the Freedom House. The status of Suriname is ‘Free’.

The main institutions are the Parliament (The National Assembly), the United People’s Assembly, the Government headed by the President, the State Advisory Council and the Court of Justice.

The National Assembly is the highest institution of the State. This body consists of 51 members, elected per district by popular vote for a period of five years. The legislative power is attributed to the National Assembly and the President, who is elected by the National Assembly for a period of five years. The government consists of the President, the Vice-President and the Council of Ministers. The Vice-President is chairman of the Council of Ministers and is also elected by the National Assembly for a five-year period. The United People’s Assembly (VVV) consists of the members of the National Assembly and the regional and municipal representatives of the population. The VVV has 890 members. If the National Assembly fails to elect a President and a Vice-President with a majority of two-thirds of the votes, the President and Vice-President are elected by the common majority of the votes of the United People’s Assembly. The 15 members of the State Advisory Council are representatives of political parties represented in the National Assembly and the workers and employers associations. The President is chairman of the State Advisory Council. The Court of Justice is an independent institution that exercises justice in Suriname. The members are appointed for life by the President. The highest administrative power is exercised by the Council of Ministers. The Public administration is highly centralized. Not only are all ministries located in Paramaribo but also most of the decisions are taken by the ministries. Suriname is divided into 10 administrative districts that are governed through the Ministry of Regional Development, and each district is divided into “resorts”. Each of the 62 “resorts” has its own council. The administrations of the ten districts have little authority and few financial resources. The regional administrations are headed by the district-commissioner who monitors the central ministries’ activities in the districts.

Political Developments

The New Front and the A Combination signed a declaration of intent to form a new government. The DA’91 that was part of the A 1 combination left the A 1 to join the New Front and the A Combination in the negotiations to form a new coalition. The other A 1 partners joined the opposition. The coalition composed by New Front, A combination and DA ’91 have 29 seats in the General Assembly, 5 seats short for a two-third majority, required to elect a President and Vice-President.

The New Front combination and its partners nominated Ronald Venetiaan for the Presidency and Ram Sardjoe as vice-President. The NDP and the VVV nominated Rabin Parmessar for the Presidency and Wilfried Roseval as vice-President. After two votes in the General Assembly were neither of the candidates received the required two-thirds majority, Ronald Venetiaan (New Front – chairman NPS) and Ram Sardjoe (New Front – chairman VHP) were elected as President and Vice-President in the United Peoples Assembly (VVV) on Wednesday august 3rd. President Ronald Venetiaan received 560 votes while Rabin Parmessar received 315 votes.

International Relations

Suriname is a member of the UN and UN-bodies, OAS and related institutions, the CARICOM (Caribbean Community), the OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries), the Worldbank, the IMF and the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank). Suriname is also a member of the so-called ACP countries, partners of the EU in the Cotonou agreement. As such, Suriname has considerable ties with the European Union, and also with the other ACP countries, scattered around the world in the African, Caribbean and Pacific Regions. As a member of the CARICOM, Suriname has political relations with the other 14 member of the Community. Suriname will become a member of the CDB (Caribbean Development Bank) in 2005.

Suriname has diplomatic representatives in its neighboring countries, Guyana, French Guyana (overseas province of France) and Brazil, in countries in the region like Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, the United States of America, in the former motherland the Netherlands, in countries where a significant part of its community originates like India, Indonesia and the Peoples Republic of China, and at the United Nations in New York and the European Union in Brussels.

The Suriname legal system is a civil law system, reflecting the country’s Dutch heritage. Violent crime rates in Suriname are relatively low and the judiciary is generally regarded as fair and impartial. Due to slowness of the judicial process, a large informal sector that largely evades taxes and general concerns about favoritism and corruption in public sector decision-making processes Suriname scores low on the rule of law index.

Judicial Power

The Judiciary in Suriname includes both the courts and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The President of the Republic appoints judges for life. There is a severe shortage of judges, causing slow judicial processes. The entire judiciary comprises only eight full-time and three part-time judges. All judges are member of the Court of Justice.

Court of Justice The Court of Justice is the highest court and is presided over by a President and a Vice-President. The Court of Justice acts as a court of appeals for all civil and criminal cases. In cases of civil servants and government officials who institute legal procedures against the state of Suriname and in disciplinary cases brought against lawyers, notaries and bailiffs, the Court of Justice acts as the trial court as well as the court of highest appeal.

Cantonal Courts The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cantonal courts are trial courts covering different geographic regions of the country. The judges of the Cantonal Courts are appointed by the President of the Court of Justice from among its members. A single judge runs the sessions of the Cantonal Courts.

Lower Courts There are two specialized trial courts, the Court-Martial and the Medical Disciplinary Tribunal. The Court-Martial has jurisdiction over offenses in which military personnel is involved. The Medical Disciplinary Tribunal deals with cases against physicians, pharmacists and others working in the delivery of health services.

Constitutional Court The Constitution provides that there ought to be a Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of laws and of the actions of government officials. This court has not been established, because legislation implementing the constitutional provision has not been passed.

Public Prosecutor’s Office The Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) is headed by the Prosecutor General who is assisted by two Solicitor Generals and 15 prosecuting and deputy prosecuting officers. The Prosecutor General is appointed for life. The PPO is independent from the executive and the legislative powers. It prepares criminal cases for presentation in court. Citizens or groups interested in prosecution of particular cases can ask the Court to request than an investigation be opened by the PPO.

The Bar To be admitted to the bar and sworn in as an attorney with the Court of Justice, one must have a law degree. It has been practice of the Court of Justice to require that new attorneys complete a two-year internship with a member of the bar before applying for membership. There are approximately 60 attorneys actively practicing law.

Functioning of the Judiciary

The court system has a reputation among citizens as being fair. There are however many complains about delays in the judicial process, not only in the time it takes for a court decision to be rendered, but also in the time between the issuance of the decision and the preparation of the formal deed of judgment. If a case is very urgent, accelerated procedures apply. The case goes to a special judge and the presentations are oral rather than written. Demand for accelerated procedures is very high.

Moving a civil case through trial can take one to three years; the preparation of the deed of judgment can be as long as a year; the appeal can take four to five years to be docketed and completed. Criminal cases take about two to six months to move through the court system.

There is a fair amount of informal settling of cases, which is according to the traditions among many of the ethnic groups in Suriname.

Legislation

The highest law in Suriname is the Constitution; in the case of conflict between the Constitution and any other law, the Constitution prevails. Changes to the Constitution require approval by two-thirds vote of the National Assembly as well as government approval and promulgation. Next in the hierarchy of laws come acts, which are approved by simple majority approval by the National Assembly. Below acts are State Decrees, which are approved by the President of the Republic. Below State Decrees are Ministerial Decrees, which are approved by the Minister. They regulate only activity within the Ministry itself.

All legislative proposals from the Ministries are reviewed for their technical and legal content by the legislative department of the Ministry of Justice and Police (MOJP). Once the MOJP has signed off on a bill, the origination ministry sends it to the Council of Ministers and finally to the Chair of the National Assembly. An act presented for approval to the Assembly must be signed by the MOJP, the ministry responsible for implementation of the statute and the President of the Republic. The President of the Republic is being advised by the Council of State.

Dispute Settlement

Business related issues are settled in the Civil Code, the Commercial Code, the Law on Business Licenses, the Labor Law and connected legislation, the Foreign Exchange Law, the Law on Business Offences, the Law on Custom Duties and the Income Tax Code. Regarding dispute resolution Suriname is not a party of the ICSID Convention or to the New York Convention.

Intellectual property rights

Suriname is a signatory to the following international property rights (IPRs) treaties:

Paris Convention for the 
Protection of 
Industrial Property (1883)

Suriname is party 
to the Stockholm Act

Berne Convention for 
the Protection of 
Literacy and 
Artistic Works (1886)

Suriname is party 
to the Paris Act

Hague Agreement 
Concerning the 
International Deposit 
of Industrial Designs   (1925)

Nice Agreement Concerning the 
International Classification 
of Goods and 
Services for the 
Purposes of Registration of Marks(1957)

Suriname is party 
to the Geneva Act

Strasbourg Agreement 
Concerning the 
International 
Patent Classification   (1971)

Source: WTO Secretariat

The legal framework pertaining to IPRs consists of several laws.

Copyright 
(literacy,scientific 
or artistic works)

Law of 22 March 1913 
concerning new 
copyright regulations, 
last amended in 1981

50 years from 
the first of January 
of the year 
following the year of 
death of the 
creator of the work.

Trade Marks 
(marks for the 
distinction of a 
company’s goods from 
the goods of another)

Royal Decree 
No.57 of 29 August 1912 
concerning provisions 
for trademarks, 
last amended in 2001

Ten years 
from the date 
of filing, 
renewable.

Patents (Inventions 
whose purpose
 is the production of 
something that is 
‘industrially 
applicable’)

Royal Patent Law, 
last amended in 1968

20 years 
from the date 
of filing,
non- renewable.

Source: WTO Secretariat

The current legal framework doesn’t provide for the protection of neighboring rights in copyright, geographical indications, industrial designs, utility models, layout-designs (topographies) of integrated circuits, undisclosed information and new plant varieties.

In order to comply with the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) new legislation has been drafted with the assistance of the International Bureau of WIPO and is awaiting approval of the National Assembly. The draft legislation covers industrial property, including trademarks, patents and industrial designs.

The Court of Justice has jurisdiction over all matters related to IPRs. Several remedies are available in case of copyright infringement, including compensation to the right holder, seizure and destruction of the infringing goods, monetary fines and imprisonment. The Court of Justice can, upon the request of the right holder of a trademark, order the violator to stop all infringing activities. Under the current laws of Suriname no provisions exist for border protection against trademark counterfeits or copyright piracy.

Crime

Crime rate in Suriname has risen in recent years but is low compared to other countries in the Caribbean region. The murder ratio (number of people murdered per 100,000 people) in 2003 was 5, compared to a ratio of 19-37 for other Caribbean countries. More than 70% of the registered crimes are simple crimes like pick pocketing and theft. About 11% of the committed crimes are robberies.

One of the main challenges facing the security in Suriname is the drug-related crime. Due to its strategic position at the northeast coast of South America and its extensive, almost uncontrolled, boundaries, Suriname has an important transit function for drugs from Columbia to Europe. The UN Drug Control Agency estimates that 20 tons of cocaine is transported from Suriname to Europe per year. A lack of resources, corruption and outdated legislation hampers the fight against drug smuggles. In the last 5 years about 5 tons of drugs were intercepted, approximately 5% of the estimated smuggle.

Legislation

The highest law in Suriname is the Constitution; in the case of conflict between the Constitution and any other law, the Constitution prevails. Changes to the Constitution require approval by two-thirds vote of the National Assembly as well as government approval and promulgation. Next in the hierarchy of laws come acts, which are approved by simple majority approval by the National Assembly. Below acts are State Decrees, which are approved by the President of the Republic. Below State Decrees are Ministerial Decrees, which are approved by the Minister. They regulate only activity within the Ministry itself.

All legislative proposals from the Ministries are reviewed for their technical and legal content by the legislative department of the Ministry of Justice and Police (MOJP). Once the MOJP has signed off on a bill, the origination ministry sends it to the Council of Ministers and finally to the Chair of the National Assembly. An act presented for approval to the Assembly must be signed by the MOJP, the ministry responsible for implementation of the statute and the President of the Republic. The President of the Republic is being advised by the Council of State.

Dispute Settlement

Business related issues are settled in the Civil Code, the Commercial Code, the Law on Business Licenses, the Labor Law and connected legislation, the Foreign Exchange Law, the Law on Business Offences, the Law on Custom Duties and the Income Tax Code. Regarding dispute resolution Suriname is not a party of the ICSID Convention or to the New York Convention.

Suriname is a signatory to the following international property rights (IPRs) treaties:

Paris Convention for the 
Protection of 
Industrial Property (1883)

Suriname is party 
to the Stockholm Act

Berne Convention for 
the Protection of 
Literacy and 
Artistic Works (1886)

Suriname is party 
to the Paris Act

Hague Agreement 
Concerning the 
International Deposit 
of Industrial Designs   (1925)

Nice Agreement Concerning the 
International Classification 
of Goods and 
Services for the 
Purposes of Registration of Marks(1957)

Suriname is party 
to the Geneva Act

Strasbourg Agreement 
Concerning the 
International 
Patent Classification   (1971)

Source: WTO Secretariat

The legal framework pertaining to IPRs consists of several laws.

Copyright 
(literacy,scientific 
or artistic works)

Law of 22 March 1913 
concerning new 
copyright regulations, 
last amended in 1981

50 years from 
the first of January 
of the year 
following the year of 
death of the 
creator of the work.

Trade Marks 
(marks for the 
distinction of a 
company’s goods from 
the goods of another)

Royal Decree 
No.57 of 29 August 1912 
concerning provisions 
for trademarks, 
last amended in 2001

Ten years 
from the date 
of filing, 
renewable.

Patents (Inventions 
whose purpose
 is the production of 
something that is 
‘industrially 
applicable’)

Royal Patent Law, 
last amended in 1968

20 years 
from the date 
of filing,
non- renewable.

Source: WTO Secretariat

The current legal framework doesn’t provide for the protection of neighboring rights in copyright, geographical indications, industrial designs, utility models, layout-designs (topographies) of integrated circuits, undisclosed information and new plant varieties.

In order to comply with the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) new legislation has been drafted with the assistance of the International Bureau of WIPO and is awaiting approval of the National Assembly. The draft legislation covers industrial property, including trademarks, patents and industrial designs.

The Court of Justice has jurisdiction over all matters related to IPRs. Several remedies are available in case of copyright infringement, including compensation to the right holder, seizure and destruction of the infringing goods, monetary fines and imprisonment. The Court of Justice can, upon the request of the right holder of a trademark, order the violator to stop all infringing activities. Under the current laws of Suriname no provisions exist for border protection against trademark counterfeits or copyright piracy.

Crime

Crime rate in Suriname has risen in recent years but is low compared to other countries in the Caribbean region. The murder ratio (number of people murdered per 100,000 people) in 2003 was 5, compared to a ratio of 19-37 for other Caribbean countries. More than 70% of the registered crimes are simple crimes like pick pocketing and theft. About 11% of the committed crimes are robberies.

One of the main challenges facing the security in Suriname is the drug-related crime. Due to its strategic position at the northeast coast of South America and its extensive, almost uncontrolled, boundaries, Suriname has an important transit function for drugs from Columbia to Europe. The UN Drug Control Agency estimates that 20 tons of cocaine is transported from Suriname to Europe per year. A lack of resources, corruption and outdated legislation hampers the fight against drug smuggles. In the last 5 years about 5 tons of drugs were intercepted, approximately 5% of the estimated smuggle.

Although strategic groups and groups representing consumers are overall satisfied with the health system, there are a number of matters, especially regarding the lack of availability of drugs, long waiting times and inconvenient clinic operating hours which are criticized. Many organizations that render health services are NGO’s, which are being subsidized by the government. The leading causes of death are hypertension and heart disease, accounting for 28% of all deaths in 2002. HIV/AIDS are increasingly demanding victims. In table 1.5.1 some key indicators are provided.

Table 1.5.1 Key Indicators

Source: 2001 CMO-report

According to figures of the General Bureau of Statistics there were 112 specialists in October 2005, while the number of general physicians in 2004 was 264. The number of nurses in 2004 was 808 nurses.

Primary Healthcare

The following institutions provide primary healthcare: - Regional Health Service (RGD); - The Medical Mission (MZ); - Private practices; - Polyclinics of private companies; - The emergency department of the Academic Hospital; - The Dermatology Service; - Clinics of the Youth Dental Service; - The Bureau of Medical Psychology; - The disease control clinics of the Bureau of Public Health.

The government provides primary health care to the poor through the Regional Health Service (RGD) and through the Medical Mission (MZ). Primary Care clinics provide services to employees of companies and their families.

The RGD provides health care for the poor in the coastal areas. It serves 120,000 people covered by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing and 25,000 people covered by the State Health Insurance Fund. It offers free service for immunizations, counseling, family planning (in cooperation with the Lobi Foundation) and dental services for schools (in cooperation with the Youth Dental Service). The RGD operates 11 health centers, 27 policlinics and 19 auxiliary posts. The health centers are offering medical, pharmaceutical and laboratory services, and clinics for children under age 5. The policlinics are offering medical and pharmaceutical services and clinics for children under age 5. The auxiliary posts are located in villages in the districts and operated by visiting doctors and nurses a few days per month.

The Medical Mission is assigned with the responsibility for all medical care in the Interior. The target group of the Medical Mission comprises 48,500 people. According to figures of the General Bureau of Statistics the Medical Mission had 56 health posts in October 2005, most of them in the Interior.

The Surinam people have easy access to primary healthcare. Approximately 89% of households are within 5 km of a policlinic or health post and 60% use them on a regular basis. Effective access to emergency services, however, is restricted to the limited hours that a general practitioner is officially available. The quality of the primary health care services is generally low.

Secondary Healthcare

Secondary healthcare is provided by four general hospitals in Paramaribo, one general hospital in Nickerie and one mental hospital in Paramaribo. There are 2.7 beds per 1,000 populations. In table 9.3 the hospitals and the number of beds are provided.

Table 1.5.2 Hospitals in Suriname (2004)

Source: General Bureau of Statistics

The average occupancy rate of hospital beds is about 60%. The average length of hospitalization is 7.65 days. There is an arrangement to send patients to the Netherlands for medical procedures, which cannot be performed in Suriname, the so-called Armulov-arrangement. The policy is to decrease this need by improving facilities in Paramaribo and to send patients to countries in the region, like Columbia. Recently the capacities for heart surgery and laser treatment were established. Medical specialists are generally well educated; a substantial number of them are trained in well-known hospitals in the Netherlands and are licensed to practice overseas. In their current practice they do not work with standardized protocols, and reviews with colleagues are rare. However, treatment is based on evidence based medicine guidelines. Patients complain about extremely long waiting times in hospitals. There is a shortage of experienced nurses in hospitals, which has a negative impact on the quality of secondary services.

Drug Management

Suriname is following the essential drug policy advocated by WHO, and has developed a national formulary, consisting of about 450 drugs. The State Pharmaceutical Company (BGVS) is the central importer, producer and distributor of drugs and medical supplies. It provides drugs on the National Essential Drugs List. 82% of all drugs are imported and 18% are manufactured. Vaccines are obtained through PAHO’s revolving fund for Vaccine Procurement.

Financing Healthcare and Medical Insurance

In 2004, Suriname spent about 10.08% of GDP on health care. Health expenditures in the region vary from 4 to 8% of the GDP. The public and the private sector spend about the same on health care, the government about 43%, and the private sector about 42%. The remaining 15% comes from donors, mainly the so-called Armulov funds for treatment in the Netherlands.

Preventive and primary healthcare accounted for 34% of the expenditures, secondary care for 55% and administration and training for 11%.

The main types of health care financing are: 1. The State Sickness Fund (Staatsziekenfonds, SZF) with a comprehensive package of health benefits for civil servants, employees of state-owned companies and their families. The SZF also provides individual health insurances. 2. Households classified as poor receive a medical card from the Ministry of Social Affairs that entitled them to care in the state-runned hospitals and clinics. Services of general practitioners, specialists, medication and hospitalization are covered. 3. Free Health care for the people in the Interior provided by the Medical Mission. 4. Privately financed health care through individual and company insurance policies or by paying out-of-pocket.

Approximately 32% of the population has no health insurance. The Ministry of Social Affairs provides health cards to about 23% of the population, while the civil servants, 21% of the population are covered through the State Health Insurance Foundation (SZF). Companies cover 15% of the population, while a small group of 2% of the population has private health insurance. The group of privately insured people is currently growing, illustrated by the increase from one private health-care insurance company in 1999 to four private health-care insurance companies in 2002. Most companies take out a health insurance for their employees and families.

General

Suriname has a reasonably good level of basic-education, which results in a literacy rate in the coastal area among adults of 93%. For the whole country the literacy rate is 88%.
There is a widespread consensus in Suriname about the importance of education for both economic and social development. Suriname devotes a larger share of national resources to education compared to many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2006 public education amounts to about 5.1% of GDP and 19.1% of total government budget. However, a high proportion of the financial resources is devoted to personnel expenditures. This leaves insufficient funding for complementary inputs including supplies, equipment and school maintenance.

Education is regulated, coordinated, managed and financed by the Ministry of Education and Community Development (MOECD), which is responsible for the provision of education throughout the country. The education system of Suriname comprises pre-primary, primary, junior secondary, senior secondary and tertiary schooling. There are 312 primary schools, 142 secondary schools and one university in Suriname. About half of the numbers of schools are operated by religious organizations that are mostly financed and regulated by the MOECD. They handle the national curriculum, use the same textbooks as the public schools and depend on the MOECD for the delivery of the textbooks and instructional materials.

In 1873 school attendance for children from 7 to 12 years old became legally obliged by the Compulsory Education Act. The education system uses a tracking system based on students’ performance on national and school tests to determine their progress within the school system. At the end of the primary education cycle, the pupils are awarded a Primary School Certificate. According to their scores for the final examination of Primary School, the pupils may enter one of the six streams at junior secondary school. At the end of junior secondary school, the tracking process is repeated for students enrolled in the general stream of junior secondary school. The students who pass the final examination of junior secondary school can enter one of the six streams in senior secondary school; again their options are determined by their test results.

Pre-Primary and Primary Education

Length of program    : 6 years
Age of entry               : 6 years
Age of exit                 : 12 years

Pre-primary education is offered by day nursery, play groups and kindergarten.

The curriculum of the primary education is designed to give students a sound basic education in Dutch along with elementary understanding of other subjects such as reading, writing and arithmetic. Primary education leads to a nationwide selective examination, which determines whether the students graduate from primary school and the level they enter secondary education. Except for the ordinary primary schools Suriname has Special Education schools (BO) for children with a physical or mental handicap.

There are also some private primary schools that teach in Dutch and English.

Junior-and Senior Secondary Education

Length of program    : 4 years
Age of entry               : 12 years
Age of exit                 : 16 years

There are six streams, one general stream and five vocational streams. The junior secondary general, the MULO, is a four-year course with emphasis on the cognitive development of the students. The MULO schools prepare students for the senior-secondary level. In the school year 2004/2005 there were 20,194 MULO-pupils. The completers examination was done by 4,739 pupils of which 2,549 passed the exam, while 2,190 pupils failed the exam.

Students who fail to reach the required results for MULO at the entrance examinations can be admitted to one of the five vocational streams.
The five vocational streams are:
1.      Junior Secondary Vocational School (LBGO)
2.      Junior Secondary Technical School (LTO)
3.      Junior Secondary Elementary Vocational Education (EBO)
4.      Junior Secondary Vocational Home Economics (LNO)
5.      Junior Secondary Special Education (VBO)

Senior secondary education has general and vocational streams. The general streams prepare students for higher education. The vocational courses may be considered terminal. There are two general streams, the Higher General Secondary Education (Havo) and the Prepatory Scientific Education (VWO). The Havo is a two year course that prepares the students for higher vocational education. The VWO is a three year course that prepares students for the University. The vocational streams are the Commercial College (IMEAO), the Technical College (Natin) and the Teacher Training Colleges (CPI, PA and SPI). In table 1.7 the number of pupils of VWO, Havo, Natin, IMEAO and the Teacher Training Colleges are provided.

Table 1.7 Number of pupils of Senior Secondary Schools

Source: General Bureau of Statistics

There are also some private schools that provide secondary education in Dutch and English.

Tertiary Education

Tertiary education consists of postgraduate education in business administration (MBA), university education and higher vocational education.
The MBA course is conducted by the FHR Lim A Po Institute for Social Studies (FHR), a non-profit private organization, in cooperation with the Maastricht School of Management (MsM) announces its MBA Program.

The MBA course is an 18 months program for 30 participants starting each year.The objective of the program is to provide state-of-the-art postgraduate education in business administration to advance the knowledge and practice of management and to train leaders for a dynamic global business environment.
The Program targets young professionals and mid career executives who come from different types of organisations including private companies, governmental organisations and NGO’s.
The University of Suriname, the Anton de Kom University (Adek), was established in 1968 and has three faculties:

1. Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences (2004/2005: 2,173 students); this faculty provides studies in Law, General Economics, Business Administration, Public Administration, Sociology and Agogic Sciences and Education.
2. Faculty of Medical Sciences (2004/2005: 327 students); this faculty provides studies in Medicine and physiotherapy.
3. Faculty of Technology (2004/2005: 701 students); this faculty provides studies in infrastructure, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, agricultural production, mineral production and environmental sciences.

The studies last four to five years. . The degrees used in Suriname are Dutch, drs (social science), ir (technological science) and mr (law); they are equivalent to a master degree.

The University has nine research-centers to do research in many domains. The university has covenants with many universities in Europe, the United States and the Caribbean. Suriname signed the Convention On the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1974.

Tertiary vocational education is provided by the Teacher Training College for Technical Education (LOBO), the Advanced Teacher Training Institute (IOL), the Academy of Fine Arts and Communications (AHKCO), the Nursery Training Institute (COVAB), the Hogeschool In-Holland and the Polytechnic College. In the study year 2004/2005 there were 6,042 students following tertiary level education, up from 5,461 in the year 2003/2004. In table 1.8 the number of students per college is provided.

Table 1.8 Number of students following tertiary education per college

Source: General Bureau of Statistics