Suriname and the IMF Reach Staff-Level Agreement on the Second Review of the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility 

May 18, 2023 

• The IMF staff team and Surinamese authorities reached a staff-level agreement on the second review of the authorities’ economic recovery program supported by the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The review is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board.
• Suriname’s economy continues its slow post-pandemic recovery, but the shock of higher commodity and food prices in the second half of 2022 on the Suriname’s import-dependent economy compounded significant pre-existing policy challenges and eroded performance under the program. The economic environment remains fragile, with rapid exchange rate depreciation and high inflation imposing a heavy burden on the society.
• The Surinamese authorities have made concerted efforts to bring the program back on track. The government’s near-term priority is to implement a prudent fiscal policy that is consistent with stabilizing the economy while protecting vulnerable households and supporting growth-enhancing investment.

Read more Suriname and the IMF Reach Staff-Level Agreement on the Second Review of the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility

Today, the government of Suriname has announced the proposed modalities of the restructuring of its external debt. The objective is to bring this debt back on a sustainable path, which will benefit the economy of Suriname and its people.

Another smaller part of public debt is owed to Surinamese residents. The Government and the Central Bank of Suriname are determined to make sure that the interests of local creditors are secured in a way that does not endanger banking and financial stability.

The safety of our domestic financial system is also a priority of the International Monetary Fund, which will assist Suriname in its economic program for recovery and growth.

CENTRALE BANK VAN SURINAME

June 2nd, 2021

MEAI bulletin mrt 2021 pdf version

The Statistics Department (STA) of the Central Bank of Suriname (the Bank) is responsible for the compilation of the External Sector Statistics (ESS)  e.g. the balance of payments and international reserves of Suriname. The ESS are compiled in line with internationally accepted guidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), namely the Balance of Payments Manual.

Until recently, the Bank compiled and reported the ESS according to the 5^th Edition of the Balance of Payments Manual (BPM5) issued in 1993. The 6^th edition of the Manual (BPM6) was published by the IMF in 2009.

The Bank has  followed  a gradual process to integrally adjust and improve  the ESS in order to meet the BPM6 requirements. Although countries were recommended to execute the implementation in phases, the IMF started publishing the data reported by member countries in the BPM6 format in 2012. The IMF has thus carried out a mechanical conversion of the data from the BPM5 to BPM6 format.

The changes in the BPM6 compared to the BPM5  largely refer to  the way  increases and decreases are presented, terminology and re-classification with shifts mainly in the goods and services account of the balance of payments. In addition, the financial account in the BPM6 version is presented on a net basis for both assets and liabilities and transactions of foreign investments are classified according to the relationship between the parent and subsidiaries or sister companies.

The Bank has fully completed the transition from the BPM5 to the BPM6, and is now proceeding to publish the ESS according to the BPM6 format. In addition to the conversion, recommendations from the IMF to further improve the quality of the ESS have also been implemented in the new data series.

To familiarize data users with the new presentation, the Bank will publish the ESS for the period 2017-2020 in both the BPM5 and BPM6 format. Starting with the ESS of the first quarter of 2021, the Bank will only compile and publish the statistics in the BPM6 version. The associated metadata, i.e. a description of the compilation of the statistics, will also be updated accordingly.

Publication of the ESS according to the BPM6 format promotes the international comparability of Suriname's ESS and harmonizes it with the most recent international statistical standards.

The balance of payment as part of the ESS provides valuable information about Suriname's imports, exports, foreign investments, foreign loans and interest payments and amortization, and international reserves.

The Bank is willing to provide further clarification to data users if needed. Requests for clarification sessions can be directed to the Bank via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Centrale Bank van Suriname

January, 18th 2021