PARAMARIBO, Suriname — The Surinamese government says it will move ahead with its SRD 1,000 one-time support payment to civil servants, pensioners, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable households, even as it sharply reduces the budget for ministries’ annual year-end socials. The confirmation came in an official statement issued by the Office of President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons.
According to the release, funding for year-end socials has been cut from SRD 2.4 million to SRD 500,000. The administration said the decision forms part of a wider austerity programme intended to restore fiscal stability and enforce stricter spending discipline. Ministries will still be allowed to host smaller, scaled-down year-end gatherings.
The Office of the President stressed that the cuts will not affect direct citizen support.
“The one-time amount of SRD 1,000 for civil servants and equivalents, persons with disabilities, vulnerable households, and pensioners remains unchanged,” the statement said. The payment, roughly equivalent to GYD 7,000, will be issued in December.
The announcement comes after the government formally shelved a proposal introduced under former President Chan Santokhi to distribute oil-royalty transfers valued at approximately US$750 per citizen. Surinamese authorities and local media have reported that the country’s economic and fiscal conditions could not support such a large-scale distribution.
Across the Caribbean, governments have been taking varied approaches in the face of inflation, economic strain, and tight fiscal space. Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago have favored targeted support and maintained a cautious approach to public spending and debt control. Suriname’s decision to cut discretionary expenditure while safeguarding minimal welfare support aligns with these conservative regional trends.
Guyana, meanwhile, is operating under a stronger economic outlook driven by rapid growth and improved revenues. Public servants in Guyana received an 8% salary increase earlier this year, with the lowest-paid workers now earning about GYD 12,000 more on their monthly salary following the adjustment, according to official government disclosures. In addition to this wage improvement, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has, over the past two months, repeatedly indicated that every Guyanese—including civil servants—can expect holiday economic support, including possible cash grants and other relief incentives as part of a broader Christmas empowerment package. These measures would follow last year’s GYD 100,000 household cash grant.
The developments reflect diverging fiscal realities in the region: Suriname is tightening spending to stabilize its economy, while Guyana’s stronger financial footing allows for expanded seasonal support to households ahead of the holidays.