PARAMARIBO — President Jennifer Simons stressed the importance of security and cooperation at the official installation of the Maritime Security Council. The installation is an important step in further strengthening and coordinating safety within the Surinamese maritime sector. The installation took place on Friday at the Office of the President.
According to the head of state, the council’s duties are not the sole responsibility of Chairman Bob Mangal. All parties involved must work together and contribute from their expertise. Good data collection and monitoring are of great importance.
“We are not in an ideal situation, but there is a will to tackle the matter now”
The council consists of representatives from various agencies, such as the Maritime Authority of Suriname, the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Suriname Police Corps, the National Security Advisor, the Public Prosecution Service and the Ministry of Justice and Security. Justice Minister Harish Monorath – in the role of interim Minister of Transport, Communications and Tourism (TCT) – expressed his satisfaction with the installation. According to the minister, it is now about further shaping the council, operationalizing its tasks and thus making a concrete contribution to the recovery and development of Suriname.
Chairman Mangal told the Communications Service Suriname (CDS) that the tasks are carried out with different stakeholders and actors, aimed at coordinating, inspecting and monitoring. “It is actually a kind of collaboration to keep an eye on all matters concerning the maritime domain, so that we do not lag behind.” The institution of the council is of paramount importance. “So that there are no discords from the international community that could blacklist us,” the chairman emphasizes. Matters must be monitored and maintained in accordance with all existing additional laws and regulations.
After installation, arrangements were made to meet as soon as possible to convene the first meeting. “From there we will set out our strategy to know what we can identify as priority areas,” says the council president. The parties involved will work together constructively so that the President is informed on a regular basis about assessments of the situation within the maritime domain. According to Chairman Mangal, stakeholders will have to work together to achieve a very good control mechanism.
He believes that the various international and national obligations, which have been a challenge, will become a thing of the past. The council is now equipped and empowered to get to work. Mangal believes that with the support from the cabinet, the various challenges can be tackled. “We are not in an ideal situation, but there is a will to tackle the matter now,” said the chairman.
