December 11, 1998
The X-change rate for the US dollar has reached its higest ever. At a price of 770 it has broken its
former record of 750 and is expected to soar as high as 800 before the ending of December. There
is a shortage of foreign currency at the moment and cambios are buying but not selling. The rate
of the Dutch guilder has also gone up and the price is now between 375 and 405 which can also
be considered a record breaker.
The joint forces group has instructed its members to go back to work starting December 14 but to
report ill after 11 am each day. This line of action has been agreed upon at a meeting held on
wednesday where members asked the leaders not to carry out street actions during Xmas and
Ramadan. Fred Derby and Arnold Kruisland pointed out that Suriname is a multi-raced nation
with different cultures and that their demands should be taken into account. It is essential that we
respect each others wishes. Teachers who will go back to school will inform the students of the
reasons for the actions. It is not to be expected of them that they will make up for lost time since
they did not get their full pay.
Businessmen and tops of government form in and around Latin-America and the Caribbean came
together this week in Miami to talk about a strategic way of streamlining the bureaucrasy at the
customs. Shipments between countries of the western hemisphere should take place without any
unnecessary stagnation. Vice President Pertaap Radhakishun has asked for equal treatment of the
smaller economies in his speech. Barriers at the customs is looked upon as one of the largest
obstacles for free trade in the Americas. An agreement on the way in which the custom-regulations between countries can be streamlined is the first step towards a free trade agreement
which is the goal of the FTAA.
The State's Medical Fund (SZF) fears that if the government does not take steps to increase the
financial potential of this institute it will have to stop its service. Reports show that the
government debts have increased over the years from 400 million in 1996 to 4.05 billion in 1997
and 9.2 billion for 1998. Reports show that some 1500 workers all 60 plussers enjoy free
treatment fron this fund. The government has never paid the SZF for these people. SZF's director
Dyansankar Mathoera has stated that the funds had to make use of the incometax money to
further finance his service which could not be seen as an economic or fiscal-juridical manner of
doing business but there was no other alternatives. This resulted in an arrear that was later on
settled with the income tax office giving them from juni 30 a period of 6 months in which to pay
the sum of 683 million. This has put heavy pressure on the service. Apart from that there is also
the problem of inadequate control of those registerd for this service. The SZF would therefore
like to cut back 15 to 20 percent on the SZF insured and start a new family plan for the dropouts.
They will get the chance of closing an IVV insurance. This way the funds would like to make
some money.
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