Verkavelingsprojecten

The telecommunication sector is in a transitional phase from a state-regulated monopoly to a liberalized sector.  In September 2004 a new Telecommunication Act, which main purpose is to increase the number of telecom services and thereby expanding the variety and quality of the services provided, was passed.

Till 1997 the state-owned Telesur was the only company that had a concession to provide telecommunication services. In 1997 a concession was granted to a second company, ICMS NV. The lack of a regulatory framework regarding the interconnectivity caused disagreement regarding the required fee ICSM NV had to pay to Telesur. Therefore, the concession of ICMS NV was revoked  in 2003. The RPBG Ltd that provided telecommunication services on the basis of the ICSM-concession has been tolerated by the government to still provide these services.
A study of the sector has shown that to operate in a commercially profitable environment the sector can absorb two additional operators. The government will grant three companies a concession to provide telecommunication facilities in 2006.

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The telecommunication infrastructure of Suriname consists of 1,686 km of underground cable and about 350 km of aerial cable. According the ITU there were 18 internet hosts and 23,000 internet users (437.18 per 10,000 inhabitants) in 2003. There were 20,000 PC’s (4.55 per 100 inhabitants) in 2003. With 52.20 telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants Suriname has one of the highest telephone densities in South-America. In table 2.12 the telecommunication services of Telesur and RPBG are provided.
Table 2.12 Telecommunication services in Suriname

Source: Telesur and RPBG NV

Table 2.13 Communication Connections (2004)

Source: ITU

Table 2.14 Call prices (Current)

Source: Telesur

In the city of Paramaribo, along the coastal area and also in some interior villages, telephone booths are located. Calling cards can be bought at Telesur, post offices and in many neighborhood shops and super markets. The international code for Suriname is 00597. Usage of a foreign GSM cellular phone is possible, but is very expensive. If you desire to call using the local rate, you'll have to exchange your SIM card temporarily for a Surinamese calling card. It is therefore a practical idea to bring along a regional free (SIM-lock free cell phone). A SIM card costs USD. 35.- (including USD. 10.- calling card at Telephone stores). Be sure to have some form of identification handy. Some telephone stores are also renting GSM cellular phones.

In Suriname there are several electricity grids that are not interconnected such as:

• The EPAR system, covering the greater Paramaribo area
• The ENIC system, covering the greater New-Nickerie area
• The small coastal systems in Albina, Mungo, Boskamp, Coronie, Wageningen and Apura.
• The mini Diesel-Power Plants in about 80 villages in the interiors.

The most important system is the EPAR - system with 3 parallel connected, generating plants for electricity:

• The Hydro Power Plant at the Afobakka dam, with an installed capacity of 189 MW and producing an average of 80-90 MW. (Owned by mining company SURALCO -subsidiary of ALCOA). This Power Plant was build mainly to feed an Aluminum melting plant in Paranam. Since the closure of their Aluminum melting plant in 1998, SURALCO sells most of the Hydro-electricity to the Government for feeding the EPAR system. The Thermal Power Plant at Paranam (also owned by SURALCO), installed capacity 92 MW –average production 45 MW. The Thermal Power Plant of Paranam feeds only the Alumina production facility of SURALCO in Paranam.
• The Diesel Power Plant of Energie Bedrijven Suriname (E.B.S.) at Saramaccastreet Paramaribo - installed capacity 75 MW – average 35 MW.
• In May 2006 another Diesel Power plant will come into operation at Tout Lui Faut (South of Paramaribo) and owned by the State Oil Company of Suriname-capacity 15 MW –average production will be 12 MW.

The EPAR system has an average power demand of 86 MW with a peak demand of 120 MW. The Afobakka Hydro Power Plant also feeds an average of 10 MW to the Rosebell Gold Mine via a 22 km long, 161 kV High Voltage line and a 0.08 MW, via a 33 KV High Voltage Line to a number of villages in the neighborhood of Brokopondo.

For the Transmission between Afobakka and Paramaribo a 161 kV double High Voltage line is used, while for the transmission of electricity inside the EPAR system, 33 kV lines and underground cables are in use. Distribution is done by 12 kV systems.

The ENIC system is in the greater New. Nickerie area and is feeded by a Diesel Power generating plant at Clarasluis (installed capacity 16 MW), average production of 8 MW and a peak demand of 10 MW. The complete ENIC system is owned and operated by the state-owned Electricity Company Suriname (EBS).

The small coastal systems are also owned and operated by E.B.S. and feed the little towns where they are located. The mini Diesel Power Plants in the interiors (7, 5 – 350 kW) are owned and operated by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Some private industries and state-owned enterprises have their own generation facilities.

Energy consumption

The peak energy consumption of the Greater Paramaribo area, the economic center of Suriname, is now about 120 MW. This peak demand occurs twice daily on working days (from 8.30 – 14.30 h and from 18.30 – 22.00 h) and is growing in the last 5 years with about 7.4 % yearly.

In 2006 the energy consumption of the coastal area is expected to be 990 GWh (giga watts-hour). In table 2.15 the estimated electricity production of the coastal area for 2006 is provided.

Table 2.15 Energy consumption of the coastal area (2006)

Source: EBS    GWh: Gigawatts-hour    HFO: Heavy Fuel Oil

The State Oil Company Staatsolie is building an electricity generating plant with a capacity of 15 MW. Staatsolie signed an agreement with EBS to sell the electricity to EBS for a price of USD. 7, 5 ct. per kWh.

In all electrical systems the frequency is 60 Hz and the voltage is 220/127Volt. In the Greater Paramaribo Area (EPAR) there are 98000 connections to the grid. In the Greater Nickerie Area there are 8600 connections to the grid. In the small coastal systems there are 3300 connections to the grid.

The small households are connected to a one-phase system at 127 Volt-60 Hz. The larger connections for bigger households and the commercial connections are mostly connected to two or three-phase systems and have 127 Volt - 60 Hz and 220 Volt - 60 Hz available. Industrial connections have their own 12000/220/127 three phase transformer(s) and have 127Volt and 220Volt and 3x220 Volt - 60 Hz available.
The electricity tariffs are fixed in consultation with the government and are fair compared with most other Caribbean countries. Tariff raises are expected shortly.

The water of Suriname is one of the purest in the world and safe to drink straight from the tap. Water is provided by the Surinam Water Company (SWM) and the ministry of Natural Resources and Energy department Water-supply (NH\DW). The SWM supplies water to the urban areas Paramaribo, Wanica, Nieuw Nickerie and Albina. In Paramaribo about 94 % and in Wanica about 75 % of the population is connected to a tap. NH\DW supplies the remaining part of the country. Good quality bottled Surinamese natural water is also available everywhere.

About 95 % of the urban population has access to potable water, 90 % has house connections and 5 % has potable water in the yard or within short distance of the house. 70% of the rural population has potable water in the house and 20 % close to the house. Some 10 % does not have access to potable water at all. The water tariffs are provided in table 2.16.

Table 2.16 Water tariffs (Current)

Source: Surinamese Watertap Company (S.W.M.) / USD 1 = Srd. 2.75

The variable tariff depends on the amount of water used.

The main international airport is the J.A. Pengel International Airport (IATA code PBM) which is located at Zanderij in the district Para, some 45 kilometers south of Paramaribo. Besides the JPIA, there are 58 airfields, many of which are grass strips serving the interior. The runway surfaces of the airstrips range from asphalt to sand, clay and grass. The lengths of the runway vary between 420 to 1,180 meters. Most airstrips are only capable of accommodating STOL (Short Take Off & Landing) aircrafts. The busiest airport, besides PBM, is located in Zorg en Hoop, in the city of Paramaribo with over 8,000 flights a year, mainly domestic, but with some charter flights to neighboring Cayenne and Georgetown.

Airport Management Ltd. (N.V. Luchthavenbeheer), a government owned company, is responsible for running the airport PBM. However, Surinam Airways, the national carrier, owns and operates the departure terminal and provides ground services (baggage handling, cleaning, catering, etc.) The remaining airfields are run by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Tourism.

PBM has one runway with a length of 3,480 meters and width of 45 meters. The airside facilities include 46 aircraft stands, 2 arrival/departure gates, runway lighting and navigational aids. The airport’s departure facilities are in good condition. Currently the arrival terminal is being upgraded and modernized. In the first quarter of 2006 construction of a new arrival gate will be completed. PBM handles about 1,900 international flights per year. The number of departing passengers carried by air increased from 98,498 in 1997 to 145,395 in 2004 and arriving passengers rose from 95,441 to 146,730 in the same period.

Located at PBM is also a Cold and Freeze Storage Facility, to promote the export of agricultural products. The facility consists of 3 cold storage cells and 2 freeze cells. The airport also has its own rescue and firefighting station, which is operational 24 hours a day.

The departure terminal of PBM includes a departure lounge with a peak hour capacity of 450 passengers per hour and a check-in capacity of 400 passengers per hour. Passenger services also include duty-free shopping, restaurant and bar, limited first aid and ambulance service and taxis for ground transportation. Passengers spend between 30 minutes to 1 hour in the terminal on arrival and about 2 hours on departure. There is a departure tax of USD 35, =.

Airport Routes

From PBM flights are carried out from and to the following countries: the Netherlands, Curacao, Aruba, the United States of America, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Guyana and French Guyana. In 2004 PBM regained the category 1 status and qualifying airlines are once again in the position to operate directly to the United States of America.

In April 2004, Suriname and the Netherlands reached agreement on a revision of their bilateral aviation agreement. This revision will end the monopoly of the SLM-KLM joint venture on the Amsterdam-Paramaribo route in May 2006; when each country will have the right to designate three airlines that will be authorized to provide regular service on this route. It has also been agreed to increase the number of charter flights in the period until May 2006. In the period till May 2006 other carriers will be allowed to operate on this route if SLM and KLM do not comply with the request of both governments to lower the airfares and increase the flight capacity. In 2004 two companies have been issued licenses for air transport operations, one for the route Paramaribo-Brussels v.v. and the other for the route Paramaribo-Freetown-Accra-Lagos-Jeddah-Dubai. The company that would operate the Paramaribo-Brussels v.v. operation is scheduled to commence service in July 2005. As of June 2005 the Paramaribo-Freetown-Accra-Lagos-Jeddah-Dubai operation wasn’t started yet.

The majority of domestic flights have their base at Zorg en Hoop airport and their destination is mainly the interior. Domestic charter flights are provided by local airlines. The charter-costs are determined by the type of cargo, the flight-distance and the type of airfield to be used.

Aviation Regulation

The DCA is also responsible for route and operator licensing, and is shortly to be separated from the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism and become an autonomous regulatory agency, known as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Suriname (CASAS) is responsible for pilot licensing and all other safety issues. In cooperation with the IADB the government of Suriname has started a project to further increase safety and security of Civil Aviation in Suriname. This project is being coordinated by CASAS.

Suriname has 5 seaports with facilities for sea-going vessels of which only the Port of Paramaribo (POP) has installations of significance for the loading and unloading of ocean going ships. The POP is located at Nieuwe Haven, about 34 kilometers from the mouth of the Suriname River, and has a total land area of 49.5 hectares. Some 8.5 hectares is covered with buildings comprised of transit sheds, warehousing and custom offices. The POP has a key length of 520 meters, a maximum draught of 75 meters and a channel depth of 4.5 meters. It can accommodate ships up to 7,000 tons dead weight. POP has a maximum annual capacity of 800,000 tons. It handles approximately 600 vessels per year.

The port is in a transitional phase from a break-bulk port to a container port.

In table 2.16 and 2.17 the annual quantities of imported and exported cargo in Suriname is provided.

Table 2.16 Annual Quantity of Bulk Cargo (freight tons)

Source: N.V. Havenbeheer Suriname

Table 2.17 Annual Quantity of Container Cargo (tons)

Source: N.V. Havenbeheer Suriname

Cargo loading and unloading from ships is done by ‘lift-on lift-off’ cranes. There are 160 forklift-trucks for rent on request by several private companies.

The POP is managed by NV Havenbeheer Suriname, a state-owned company with financial autonomy and authority to set its rates and charges. NV Havenbeheer offers Infrastructure port services - such as berths and areas for storage, loading and discharging, water and electricity - and supra - structural services provided by shipping agents, stevedoring companies and other small entrepreneurs. Recently the facilities for cool containers have been improved from 4 to 16 reefer plugs. Open storage capacity is approximately 30,000 m2, shed storage capacity is approximately 16,500-m2 and custom entrepots storage capacity is 15,500 m2.

At the moment the Port Administration is carrying out a feasibility study for the rehabilitation and modernization of the ports’ facilities. The study includes:

* Transforming the current Port Administration into an organization that is able to exercise the duties and responsibilities that can be expected from a professional and modern Port Administration;

* Improving and regulating the terminal operations of the Port of Paramaribo and the Port of Nieuw Nickerie;

* Upgrading and rehabilitating the physical infrastructure of the port of Paramaribo and the Port of Nieuw Nickerie.

After the rehabilitation and modernization, the handling capacity of the port will increase with almost 50 %.

Maritime Connections

About twelve shipping companies provide weekly or bi-weekly international liner services to the Port of Paramaribo (POP). These shipping companies are represented by about eight shipping agencies.

The Port of Paramaribo is a tide-based port meaning that ships have to wait till flood tide to sail in and out. Because of this, ships need relatively much time to call at the Port of Paramaribo. Also, the cargo volume is relatively small, so that the number of direct connections is limited. Cargo, from and for Suriname, is mostly transshipped at ports with a hub-function. Direct maritime connections exist between Suriname and Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherlands Antilles.

As a result of the relatively long period it takes for ships to call at the Port of Paramaribo and the expenses that are attended by the transshipping of cargo from Suriname at other ports, the costs for freight are, in spite of the competitive market, relatively high.

Ferries link the East-West connection across the Marowijne River to French Guyana in the east, and in the west to Guyana across the Corantijn River. A French Guyanese company exploits the Ferries across the Marowijne River, while a joint Surinamese-Guyanese company, the N.V. Canawaima, is maintaining the connection with Guyana.

Maritime Regulation

By law the Maritime Authority Suriname (MAS) is the regulating authority regarding maritime activities. The MAS was created in 1998 when the Department of Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism was transformed into an independent entity with a sui generis legal status. The MAS provides pilotage services, conducts periodic hydrographical surveys in the rivers that provide access to the ports of Suriname; is responsible for fairway marking; and ensures enforcement of regulations pertaining to shipping and maritime affairs, and carries out registration, inspection and supervision of all vessels operating in the Surinamese waterways.

Suriname is a signatory to the Safety of Life at Sea Treaty. The designated authority regarding the safety of ports is the MAS. As of November 2004 most of the ports in Suriname are certified according to the International Ship & Port Security Code (ISPS-code). In table 2.19 the certified ports are provided.

Table 2.19 Ports certified according to the ISPS-code

Source: MAS

Suriname has a reasonably developed road-network with a length of 4,770 kilometers of which 990 kilometers are asphalt-paved, 190 km are paved with concrete blocks and the remaining 3,290 km have laterite, shell sand or sand surfaces. The major elements of the road network are the East-West connecting road, which runs parallel with the coastline, and the North-South connecting road between Paramaribo and Brokopondo. The East-West connection has a length of some 375 kilometers and goes from Albina in the east to New Nickerie in the west. With the establishment of the bridge across the Coppenameriver in July 1999 and the bridge across the Suriname River in the first half of 2000, the East-West Connection is a continuous connection from the east side till the west-side of Suriname. Ferries link the East-West connection across the Marowijne River to French Guyana in the east, and in the west to Guyana across the Corantijn River. The Government has indicated that it attaches importance to improving road connections with Brazil. Besides the investment in the bridges, the infrastructure investment program also includes a rehabilitation of the roads in Paramaribo and the districts. This road-project consists of the rehabilitation of about 545 kilometers of road, in and around Paramaribo, and 130 kilometers of road in the districts. The road rehabilitation is being performed by local and foreign companies.

There are more than 60,000 passenger cars in Suriname and car ownership, at 1 per 7 people, is approaching European levels. Bus services are run by the government owned National Transport Company (NVB) and by private minibus operators. Fares and services are regulated by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Tourism. Trucking and other commercial vehicle services are entirely in the hands of the private sector. The companies are required to register as businesses, and to carry insurance, but are not subject to any kind of economic regulation. Axle loads are limited by law to 8 tons.

Foreigners are allowed to buy, own and sell real estate with title deed.

The Surinamese Foreign Currency Legislation states that for the purchase of real estate by a non-inhabitant, a permit of the Foreign Currency Commission is required. The Surinamese foreign currency legislation doesn’t distinguish between Surinamese and foreigners, but distinguishes between inhabitants and non-inhabitants. According to notary Jadnanansingh (2004) this permit is normally granted within a few weeks. With regard to transactions whereby the buyer is a non-inhabitant and the seller is a Surinamese inhabitant, the Foreign Currency Commission determines that the purchase price and the transfer costs should be paid in Euros or US-dollars through the Central Bank of Suriname (CBvS) or one of the foreign currency banks. The seller and the notary receive their fee in Surinamese currency according to the exchange rate of the CBvS that is lower than the free market exchange rate. If the transaction is between two non-inhabitants, the Foreign Currency Commission determines that the transfer costs should be paid in foreign currency.

Foreigners are not allowed to buy or sell real estate with the title of long lease or ground rent in Suriname. This privilege is only for Surinamese inhabitants or for established Surinamese incorporations. If a foreigner wants to buy real estate with a long lease title, in practice, usually a foundation or a limited liability company is used.

For buying or selling real estate in Suriname, the services of real estate agents (some operating internationally) can be used. Depending on the value, the provision amounts to 2% to 5% of the purchase price.

Renting

According to estimates about 16.000 houses are rented in Suriname. The rent varies from USD 100 for common (yard) houses to several thousands of dollars for luxurious houses. The rent for a modal house of about 125m² in a suburban neighborhood is about USD 300 a month. The rent for a luxurious house in an elite neighborhood is about USD 1,500 and higher. Surinamese homeowners prefer to rent to foreigners.

The rent for commercial units in the center of Paramaribo is about USD 10 to USD 15 per m² per month.

Industrial Areas

A major part of the manufacturing companies are located south of the center of Paramaribo, especially in the areas Saramacca Doorsteek, Bethesda, Livorno and Beekhuizen. There are no Free Trade Zones or Industrial Sites. Havenbeheer N.V. is developing a Free Trade Zone on the premises of the Port of Paramaribo.

Suriname has three daily newspapers, three morning newspapers "de Ware Tijd", “Dagblad Suriname” and “Times” and one evening paper "de West" and a few weekly and monthly newspapers. Dutch and American newspapers are also available. There are twenty radio stations, twelve television stations as well as 3 cable television providers, allowing access to some 30 international channels.

Table 2.18 Media-indicators