Paramaribo, Suriname, 20 September 2024 – A mission from the Islamic Development Bank led by Dr. Sobir Komilov, Manager of IsDB Regional Hub Paramaribo (RHP), visited Suriname, from 16-20 September 2024 to strengthen development cooperation in line with the IsDB Group Country Engagement Framework (CEF) for 2024 till 2026 which has been designed in full alignment with the country’s national development priorities.

The mission was mandated with programming for the Suriname CEF, which was officially launched on 1st May 2024, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the 2024 IsDB Group Annual Meetings and the Bank’s 50^th anniversary.

The IsDB Group mission comprised participants from RHP, IsDBI, ISFD, ITFC, ICD, and ICIEC who physically and virtually engaged in discussions with senior government officials, including Suriname’s Minister of Finance and Planning, Minister of Health, Minister of Education, Science and Culture, and Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, among others.

The CEF showcases IsDB Group’s continued commitment to Suriname’s development for 2024–2026 under two main pillars of “Igniting Growth and Diversification” and “Building Human Capital for the Future”.

The cross-cutting pillars also cover the Islamic finance sector development and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) support, climate change, women and youth empowerment, and capacity development.

The meetings aimed to finalize the IsDB's three-year rolling work program for Suriname and explore new opportunities for cooperation with local and international development partners under the CEF's pillars.

The IsDB Group mission underlined the importance of collaboration with local stakeholders, including private sector actors, international institutions active in Suriname like the IMF and UNDP, and regional partners such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IaDB).

Meetings with institutions like the Central Bank of Suriname and Trustbank Amanah showcased the opportunities for expanding Islamic finance in the country while discussions with the private sector representatives of Suriname Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKF), Suriname Trade Association (VSB), and Suriname Manufacturers (ASFA) provided an opportunity to discuss potential projects and showcase the offerings of IsDB Group to support SME development and diversification of economic activities through the private sector involvement.

A key highlight of the mission was the first official meeting of the Steering Committee for the CEF's implementation, hosted by the Ministry of Finance and Planning on 20^th September 2024.

The Steering Committee serves as a platform for the effective implementation of the CEF for Suriname and enables the monitoring of the progress and performance of the CEF portfolio with the participation of both IsDB and Surinamese officials regularly over the period 2024-2026.