IF THERE IS ONE one thing that the Surinamese government cannot organize properly is building houses for the underprivileged. It is therefore a hot topic every election campaign and all kinds of promises are made about houses that will be built. Numbers of 4,000 and 10,000 were mentioned more often. Ultimately, there is often no money of your own and you have to borrow.
Three governments ago, the Low Income Shelter Program was transformed into the Affordable Housing Project, which would be implemented with money from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). That wasn’t a smooth path either. While IsDB stood firm and demanded that Suriname work according to the agency’s procuration rules, everything was at a standstill. With inflation soaring, it became increasingly difficult for many people who had signed up to cough up the USD 6,000 co-payment to qualify for the USD 9,000 subsidy for new construction.
It is common knowledge that certain officials become very rich because investors have to pay them a fee before ‘windows and doors’ open
And if the government had already built, then the status of the land became a problem or there was yet another snag. The examples are there. From the Hanna’s Lust project to Richeleu, to Sabaku and the Dalian project. All this does not alter the fact that there is a huge need for houses. The immediate need is of course a roof over one’s head, but housing also plays a social role. For example, we seem to underestimate how many domestic problems arise in Suriname because too many people live together.
Now there seems to be an opportunity for the Surinamese government to deal with this the NGO Mandatum to go into the sea. It says it can build 10,000 sustainable homes for the working class. ‘A ‘model neighborhood’ framework prioritizes initiative, dignity and social cohesion, without accumulating debt for the government, and financed by international capital’ is the proverbial gift from heaven. Yet it appears that the organization has been working with the government for nine months to get things on track, because Mandatum says: we are ready.
The government has also already taken steps towards housing construction. For example, there was a meeting with contractors and the president announced the operationalization of the Housing Fund not so long ago. So where is the delay? Could it be that employees want to earn some money before the project can start or does the government distrust the organization?
It is common knowledge that certain officials become very rich because investors have to pay them a fee before ‘windows and doors’ open. On the other hand, the government has stepped into a hornet’s nest more than once. Still, Mandatum seems to have a good reputation and the capital seems legitimate. So where does the delay really lie?
