Agreements that the government had had with the Turkish trade delegation for the construction of housing have been temporarily parked due to the worldwide COVID-19 crisis. The Turks stayed in Suriname in February and showed interest in the government’s housing policy. Talks had already been held with Minister André Misiekaba of Social Affairs and Housing, the Surinamese Postal Savings Bank (SPSB), Finabank and the Hakrinbank.
Various financing models were discussed. On Wednesday, April 15, 2020, Minister Misiekaba told the National Information Institute (NII) that these agreements could not be followed up, as the COVID-19 situation meant that the Turks could no longer travel to Suriname again. He spoke of a God-given opportunity offered by the Turks. The trade delegation had offered to build through pre-financing. The intention was to start before the elections. “But all of these things were brought up to after the elections,” said the minister.
During her presence in Suriname, the Turkish delegation also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the board of City of Para, which is responsible for setting up a housing project in that district. This MoU involves the construction of 100 homes by the Turkish housing manufacturer NURIS.
Minister Misiekaba acknowledges that the housing shortage is great and that the number of approximately 5,000 houses built in the past period has been a drop in the dark. He says there is a need for 25,000 to 30,000 homes. “The more there is built, the more applications there are,” says the minister. He emphasizes that building will have to be done at a much faster pace. The conditions for this have already been laid down with the adoption of the Housing Fund and Guarantee Fund for Housing Acts. These institutes have yet to be established.
People who are in real trouble because they cannot afford their house rent or families who have been evicted can contact the ministry that has a financial pot for help. However, Minister Misiekaba emphasizes that the resources are not unlimited. You will have to prove that you cannot pay the rent or that you have been evicted from your home.
Source: NII
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