PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Oct 16, CMC – The Caribbean managing director of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Anton Edmunds, has held talks with the Finance and Planning Minister, Stanley Raghoebarsing on the bank’s 2025 programme for the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
Edmunds acknowledged the work Suriname has done in improving the macroeconomic conditions and business prospects, the IDB said in a statement.
It said he noted how the ambitious reform agenda initiated by the government continues to strengthen transparency and fiscal consolidation, which will sustainably improve the lives of Surinamese people.
“Suriname continues to shine as a leader in terms of initiatives, scale, and comprehensive approach to development. During my recent meeting with the board, I was truly impressed by the creative and committed work being done here. It is remarkable,” he added.
Edmunds visited a number of projects in which the IDB is involved, stressing the importance of regularly assessing regional developments and maintaining a physical presence in the countries involved.
“This is not to say that other countries do not need support, but what I see here is that our work can significantly affect people’s futures. Ultimately, that is the main motivation behind our efforts: making sure that we leave a lasting impact.”
During his visit, Edmunds also provided updates on the “One Caribbean” initiative, which is the bank’s first Caribbean-led regional initiative that prioritizes four critical elements, namely food security, citizen security, private sector development and infrastructure.
He said a key opportunity for Suriname was to leverage this initiative in the area of cybersecurity, as One Caribbean is expected to support participating countries through the creation of an emergency fund for government use.
“Cybersecurity is an area where we have identified resources to assist governments. Importantly, we will also invest in mapping the current cybersecurity landscape in each country,” Edmunds said.
The aim of the One Caribbean initiative is to pilot projects within these four elements and Edmunds said that he aims to support rather than dictate as well as trying to engage with countries on their plans and ideas.
“We are exploring how we can leverage expertise from relevant countries to improve food production and distribution across the region,” he added.
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