Western Hemisphere > Suriname

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 17 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
Clear All Modify Search
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
At the request of the Directorate of Taxes and Customs, a technical assistance mission evaluated how the authorities launched the Value Added Tax (VAT), administered the tax in the first 12-months of operation, and provided advice on improving the efficiency of the administration of VAT. Suriname implemented a VAT on January 1, 2023, replacing the Sales Tax. VAT revenue collected for the first 12 months was approximately 3 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and was 95.4 percent of the collection target. The weaker than expected VAT performance can be attributed to how the VAT implementation was managed. The authorities were not sufficiently prepared to effectively implement and administer the VAT. Several risks have been identified, and if not urgently addressed, there may be weaker VAT revenue collection, continued weak filing and payment compliance, which pose a challenge to the authorities’ fiscal program.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This Technical Assistance Report on Suriname discusses summary and recommendations of financial stability report (FSR). The mission focused on enhancing the FSR of the Central Bank of Suriname (CBS) whose publication has recently resumed. The mission provided several recommendations to the CBS. This covered the content and structure of the FSR and its related FSR processes, CBS’s internal and external communication, additional headcount for the Financial Stability Department, developing the financial stability analytical toolkit, coverage of the non-banking sector, and the use of data sources and statistics. The preparation of a detailed FSR production plan is critical and could facilitate improvements and bring some synergies between different teams involved in its production. This needs to include different steps and set up a firm date of publication. The CBS should further continue working toward enhancing the financial stability analytical toolkit. The mission also identified that more in-depth analysis of the insurance and pension sector is needed. The bank-like activities undertaken by non-banks should be fully assessed and monitored.
Ahmed El-Ashram
The question of how scaling up public investment could affect fiscal and debt sustainability is key for countries needing to fill infrastructure gaps and build resilience. This paper proposes a bottom-up approach to assess large public investments that are potentially self-financing and reflect their impact in macro-fiscal projections that underpin the IMF’s Debt Sustainability Analysis Framework. Using the case of energy sector investments in Caribbean countries, the paper shows how to avoid biases against good projects that pay off over long horizons and ensure that transformative investments are not sacrificed to myopic assessments of debt sustainability risks. The approach is applicable to any macro-critical investment for which user fees can cover financing costs and which has the potential to raise growth without crowding-out.
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
The economy continues to recover at a steady pace, buoyed by strong activity in the oil and gold sectors, as well as public investment. In the wake of the January 2011 devaluation and concurrent increase in taxes, the fiscal balance shifted from a deficit of 3 percent of GDP in 2010 to a surplus of 1 percent in 2011. The balance of payment also strengthened significantly, boosting reserves to nearly US$1 billion (5¼ months of imports) at end-2011. With still-tight monetary conditions, 12-month inflation dropped to 3.6 percent in May 2012, from a peak of over 22 percent in April 2011.
International Monetary Fund
In this paper, the economic growth of Suriname is discussed. The fiscal deficit shifted from 2.2 percent to 3.3 percent of GDP during 2009–10. In 2010, CLICO-Suriname was acquired by a local insurance company. The need to rein in current expenditure and avoid development of wage–price inflation and strengthen the social support programs are stressed by the authorities. The introduction of VAT and other systems are discussed. Finally, improvement over the business environment to facilitate the development of the private sector and global economy was encouraged.
International Monetary Fund
This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that economic activity weakened in Suriname in 2009 in the context of lower alumina and oil prices and a sharp output decline in the alumina sector. However, economic growth is estimated to have remained positive at 2.5 percent, supported by buoyant activity in the gold and construction sectors. Inflation has fallen sharply. Executive Directors have welcomed the authorities’ decision to postpone the reduction in the corporate tax rate, as this would adversely affect tax collections.
Mr. Masahiro Nozaki
,
Mr. Tobias Roy
,
Mr. Pawel Dyczewski
,
Mr. Bernhard Fritz-Krockow
,
Ms. Fanny M Torres Gavela
,
Mr. Gamal Z El-Masry
, and
Mr. Rafael A Portillo
This paper analyzes the economic growth and stability in Suriname. The paper highlights that in recent years, the outlook has turned substantively more positive. The favorable external environment and the stability-oriented policies of the Venetian administration have boosted confidence in the economy, leading to increased investment, domestic economic activity, and employment. The recent boom in commodity prices has helped boost growth, while increased gold production and investment in the mineral industry are projected to support continued growth in the coming years.
International Monetary Fund
In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.
International Monetary Fund
The key findings of Suriname’s 2008 Article IV Consultation show that a narrow economic base, terms-of-trade swings, and a weak policy/institutional framework have in the past led to macroeconomic instability. Weak policy and institutional frameworks have contributed to higher economic volatility and lower growth than in other commodity-exporting countries. These have undermined the credibility of policies and contributed to high financial dollarization, with over half of deposits denominated in foreign currency. Aided by high commodity prices and improved confidence, GDP growth is estimated at 5½ percent, with strong performance in both the mineral and nonmineral sectors.
International Monetary Fund
In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.