Foreigners to get easier access to work in the country

PARAMARIBO (CMC):

The government of Suriname is going to make it easier for foreigners to work in the country with a work and residence permit.

This new protocol introduces a faster processing procedure for foreign employees.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation, Justice and Police, Home Affairs and Labor, Employment and Youth Affairs signed the protocol on Wednesday

The aim is to provide companies that meet the conditions with faster and easier access to work and residence permits for their foreign employees.

The business community, in particular, has complained for years that obtaining work permits for foreign workers is extremely slow.

After submitting an application, it sometimes takes more than six months to hear anything from the authorities.

In view of the expected influx of foreign guest workers because of the imminent development of oil reserves off the Surinamese coast, the procedures are now being accelerated.

The new regulation specifically targets companies in Suriname with at least 20 employees.

Foreign Affairs Minister Albert Ramdin says this regulation aims to modernise the process and make Suriname more attractive to investors. “With this step, we want to reduce obstacles and support companies, so that work and residence permits can be obtained more easily, without compromising the legislation,” he said.

He further indicated that this accelerated procedure is important for both multinationals that are active in Suriname and local companies that want to hire foreign employees. Because of the more efficient handling, companies can be operational faster and investors can get started with fewer obstacles.

In the coming weeks, the new procedure will be further communicated to stakeholders, such as companies, organisations and diplomatic posts. The regulation must come into effect on November 1.