The Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group has embarked on a two-year (2014 -2015) Interim Member Country Partnership Strategy (MCPS) for Suriname. Under this Interim Strategy, the IsDB intends to contribute to the development priorities of the Government of Suriname underlined in the country’s Five Year Development Plan (2012-2016). In particular, the Strategy is aimed at partnering with the country in its efforts to address the development needs of the country.
The Interim MCPS has been formulated by the Government of Suriname and the IsDB through a consultative process with the relevant stakeholders. This Strategy is regarded as the first step taken by the Bank to enhance its cooperation with Suriname and address some of the most pressing needs of the country. This Interim Strategy will be followed by a full-fledged IsDB Group MCPS, which will be undertaken in close consultation with all the key stakeholders in the country.
Under the Interim MCPS, the IsDB will provide support in four major areas namely: i) Healthcare Services; ii) Skills Development / Vocational Training; iii) Sea Transportation (i.e. rehabilitation and expansion of the Nieuw Nickerie Seaport through dredging and construction of warehousing facilities); and iv) Institutional Capacity Building including cyber security. The IsDB is currently processing two projects with a contribution of US$68 million under this Interim MCPS, while the other programs are under discussion and preparation stage.
In the coming years, the Bank’s Strategy will lead to a scale up of its development assistance to further strengthen socio-economic development of Suriname. IsDB’s engagement will be highly selective through implementation of high-yielding operations with greater impact on the lives of people. The future Strategy will also explore the best possible operational modalities to serve the country more effectively given its geographical location and long distance from the rest of the IsDB membership and the IsDB Headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The IsDB will also strive to enhance its relationship with other development partners active in Suriname, within the overall context of synergy, development effectiveness and harmonization.