ILO and Suriname collaborate to support productivity growth with decent work

The ILO and Suriname1 will start a collaboration to increase productivity of the Surinamese economy. In 2019 Suriname established the Centre for Innovation and Productivity (CIP) as a mechanism for support to productivity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Centre has not been equipped.

At the request of the Hon. Steven Mac Andrew, Minister of Labour, Employment and Youth Affairs, Mr. Mario Berrios, ILO Specialist, Small Enterprises Unit, Geneva and Mr. John Bliek, Specialist, Enterprise, Cooperatives and Rural Development, ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, embarked on a mission to Suriname to gather information on how to support the CIP. The mission identified the following key areas:

• Creation of tools and mechanisms to measure and follow up productivity growth;
• Awareness raising and capacity building of staff and Board of Directors of the CIP;
• Analysis and identification of key sectors that enable growth, with decent work at the centre;
• Analysis of skills gaps both at the level of enterprise management and workers.

During a meeting on 5 September 2022, the Minister expressed his vision regarding the operationalization of the CIP. He also emphasized the importance of the CIP for the Surinamese economy and his appreciation of the ILO in assisting with the start-up.

The ILO will support Suriname in the sustainable productivity growth of key economic sectors, and promote the economic inclusion for vulnerable groups such as rural women and youth thereby generating decent employment for all. The CIP will generate data to support evidence based growth for Suriname in key sectors and will support the creation of an enabling environment with adequate skills, access to business development services and articulated policies.

1. Collaboration between the ILO and key stakeholders in Suriname including the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Youth Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation, and tripartite constituents