PARAMARIBO, Suriname – One year after being sworn into office, President Jennifer Greelings-Simons is acknowledging the “complicated” nature of government.
President Jennifer Greelings-Simons at the news conferenceGeerlings-Simons was officially sworn in as the 11th President of the Republic of Suriname, making her the first woman to hold the nation’s highest office. She had led the main opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) into forming a coalition to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority in the National Assembly following the May 2025 elections.
“The country is not a simple country. It is a wealthy country and therefore also complicated, with various internal and external interests. But a year after the elections, I can say that we have made progress,” President Greelings-Simons told a news conference, adding that her government is working on laying the foundation for structural reforms.
She told reporters the first year following the May 25 elections has been intensive and complex, partly due to the formation of a broad coalition and that the government has primarily worked on stabilising the economy, improving administrative processes, and preparing for structural reforms.
She said in doing so, the government has also sought to among other things, keeping the exchange rate stable, engage in digitalization initiatives, and evaluations within state-owned enterprises.
According to Simons, fundamental change takes time, making reference to her previous experiences within the National Assembly, where, institutional changes also took years.
“We cannot turn a mud puddle into a glass of drinking water in one step,” President Greelings-Simons said, insisting that her priority does not lie with symbolic projects, noting “my primary goal is to build a bridge from a system that we have destroyed over approximately 60 years, so that we lay a foundation to repair it.”
President Greelings-Simons said that the government has already taken measures to partially offset price increases, including through interventions regarding fuel prices. According to her, the government is trying to maintain a balance between social support and economic stability in doing so.
“As I have said a few times: a great deal still needs to change in Suriname. We cannot turn a mud puddle into a glass of drinking water in one step. That is simply the way the world is, but we will continue to work.”
Although plans exist for a bridge to neighbouring Guyana, the president said that her primary goal lies in restoring the administrative system.
“I am really going to work on improving things step by step. It is less spectacular, but that is what I am doing and will continue to do,” said Greelings-Simons.
