July 27, 1999
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CIVIL SERVANTS PROTEST MONDAY
The staff of daycare centers and branch offices of the Ministry of Social
Affairs and Housing took to the streets yesterday to protest against, among
other things, the fact that the daycare centers do not get food for the
children anymore. Civil servants of the different Ministries will also
protest this week. The intention is to let all civil servants take to the
streets on Monday. Yesterday morning, the staff of daycare centers and
branch offices gathered at the premises of Social Affairs. Afterwards,
they held a protest march in the city. The march ended at Spanhoek (at
the intersection of the Keizerstraat, Domineestraat and Klipstenenstraat),
where the demonstrators were informed of the problems, such as the fact
that the government does not provide food for the daycare centers anymore.
According to union leader Gilbert Tjong A Tjoe, the Mathilda daycare center,
which accommodates 80 children, yesterday received only 2 kilos of rice,
a kilo of meat and a small bunch of vegetables. The workers of Social Affair=s
branch offices do not go to areas where there is malaria anymore, because
they must pay for medical treatment out of their own pockets. During the
protest march, traffic in Paramaribo was congested for about half an hour.
The workers of the Ministry of Public Works also protested yesterday. Today,
workers of Social Affairs and Public Works will hold a joint protest march
to the headquarters of the State Medical Insurance Fund (SZF), where they
will ask why they are not entitled to the SZF=s services. Today, the technical
departments of the Education and Labor Ministries will also hold meetings.
The civilian personnel of the Justice Ministry, the Defense Ministry and
the Security Service of the Justice Ministry will hold meetings on Wednesday.
Such meetings will be held throughout this week, with as climax a street
protest by all civil servants on Monday. According to Tjong A Tjoe, the
initiative for these demonstration is not from the main board of the Central
of Civil Servants Organizations (CLO), but the member unions themselves
which want to express their dissatisfaction.
MOESTADJA WANTS NEW PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR DEBTS OWED
Health Minister Soewarto Moestadja wants to make an arrangement with
the different health care institutions to pay certain amounts of debts
owed by a certain date. He wants to pay the remaining debts in such a way
that the institutions can operate and survive. The debts owed will not
lose their value. When asked for comment, Moestadja says, Payment of the
total debt in the short term is not possible. Part of the debts can be
paid now, so that the health care institutions can meet their most pressing
obligations. The Minister refuses to comment on the technical aspects of
the new payment system, as he must discuss it with the health care institutions
first. He also refuses to divulge how much the government owes the institutions.
It is an ?enormous amount, however, which the government cannot pay all
at once. At the same time of introducing this payment system, Moestadja
wants to work on reorganizing the economy in the health care sector, as
he believes that this must be changed. He is also not willing to pay the
debts without considering all the sectors aspects. A structural solution
would be preferable. Besides, the Minister admits that it is not totally
untrue when one states that you cannot count on the government, adding
that consumption must not be at the expense of the state, which currently
pays 70% of health care costs. Another approach is needed, and he is considering
liberalization and transparency.
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C-47 STARTS ACTIONS FOR AFFORDABLE FUEL AND HEALTH CARE
The labor organization C-47 will start actions on Monday 00:00 hours
to force the government to rescind the recently increased fuel prices and
to bring a solution in the health care sector within a week. The actions
are necessary to put an end to the governments habit of going its own way.
C-47 chairman Fred Derby made this announcement yesterday during a special
Labor Assembly, or a meeting of all member unions. The intention is to
paralyze economic life. Al banks will be closed as of Monday, and the employees
of Surinam Airways will strike as well. Derby believes that the fuel price
increase, particularly for diesel, will have serious consequences for the
economy. The increases effects will be greater than one expects, Derby
explained. An increase in power rates as a result of the diesel price increase
should not come as surprise. C-47 will prepare the actions well, and fight
for these measures to be rescinded, Derby said, adding that this time,
the struggle will be carried on until all demands have been met.
SURINAME 64TH ON UN-LIST OF PER CAPITA INCOME
In a recent report released by the United Nations about the per capita
income of countries, Suriname is 64th in the world and 6th
in South America. Although the figures (Human Development Index or HDI-Indicator)
are based on data from 1997, they do provide a good picture of the average
income of citizens and insight into education, health care, life expectancy
and well-being of the population of different countries. The UN, which
has been publishing these data for 10 years, divides the 174 countries
listed into 3 groups, with the first group (the best) going from 1st
to 45th, the second group (the so-called average countries)
from 46th to 139th and the third group, where living
conditions and -standards are very bad, from 140th to 174th.
The first group includes South American countries such as Chile, Argentina
and Uruguay. The second group is headed by Trinidad & Tobago (46th),
and closed by the Comores (139th). The third group (the worst)
starts with Laos (140th) and closes with Sierra Leone (174th).
The second group, which includes Suriname, also includes the South American
countries Brazil (79th), Peru (80th), Paraguay (84th),
Guyana (99th) and Bolivia (112th). Bolivias HDI is
0.652. Countries such as Hungary, St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, Dominica,
Estonia, Croatia, Malaysia, Venezuela, Mexico, Columbia, Cuba, Mauritius,
Belarus, Lithuania and Lybia (63th with an HDI of 0.756) precede Suriname
on the list. The list is headed by Canada (1st with an HDI of
0.932), followed by the USA (0.927), Norway, Japan, Germany, Great Britain,
Iceland, Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Australia. The better
a country takes care of its people, the higher its position on the list.
In the last-placed country, Sierra Leone, only 44% of children attend school,
while average life expectancy is 37 years. 1,800 mothers die per 100,000
childbirths, and the infant mortality rate is 182 per 1,000.
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DWT EDITORIAL
Total chaos is looming due to protests planned for next week by the CLO and C-47. If these actions are successful, the whole country will be paralyzed again. There will be little or no economic activity, while the country will be cut off from the rest of the world if Surinam Airways personnel joins the actions. Dissatisfaction is rising again, as the situation in the country is getting worse by the day. Poverty is on the rise again, and misery is increasing every day. Basic necessities, such as health care, cannot be guaranteed any more for some time now. Some time ago, Minister Moestadja called the situation in the health care sector hopeless. Payment of debts owed is impossible in the short term. Funds for only the most pressing needs will be made available. Although Vice President Radhakishun has recently denied vehemently that Suriname is bankrupt, it is clear that that moment may come very soon. Nearly all sectors suffer the consequences of the governments not paying its debts. Workers of daycare centers protested yesterday because food is not provided anymore. The banks have been covering government salaries for months and refuse to do so any longer because the government does not pay. Pharmacies might close their doors soon, also because the government does not pay them, while SZF patients must pay cash for prescriptions now. The Trade and Industry Association Suriname (VSB) is threatening to file a summary suit against the government to force the government to pay its debts to businesses. The country may not be bankrupt, but it is clear that there is no money. Under the current circumstances of a worsening situation and great uncertainty, the people are getting more and more desperate. The average citizen can barely make ends meet with what he earns, and it can only get worse. The fuel price increases are expected to have a snowball effect and the prices of other goods and services, and possibly utilities, might also increase. It would be good if the President clarifies the situation and explains what is really going on, and what he intends to do about it. Bad news is heaped up on the people every day. As matters stand now, elections will be held in 10 months. An improvement is not in sight; on the contrary, poverty is increasing. Once in a while, a Minister reveals something about his Ministry, while Vice President Radhakishun recently stated that a sale of the states shares in some enterprises is being considered. This information is not enough. President Wijdenbosch must communicate with the people, which thirst for information. The opposition is often accused of taking advantage of the situation, and of rabble-rousing, but this situation is favorable for such things as there is little or no communication with the people. Besides, it turns out from the measures announced by Radhakishun that an adjustment program as prescribed by the IMF will be carried out. This means that more sacrifices will have to be made by the people, who are already at the end of their rope.
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