The shipment arrived in May but the distribution was put on hold as the new administration still has to give instructions. Reports indicate that the shipment that arrived in May is the third and final shipment as part of the  India Food Grant Program, a post-COVID aid initiative from the Indian government for countries located in the Caribbean and Asia.

Julio Bhikharie, director at Synergy Marketing & Distribution NV which has been tasked with the distribution explained that 112 shipping containers have arrived in total. 21 shipping containers arrived in the first phase, 67 in the second phase and 24 in the third one. The goods that arrived with the first two shipments were distributed among social institutions, vulnerable families and villages located in the hinterland. But the third shipment remains in storage. Bhikharie made it clear that the products are still fit for consumption. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with the goods. Nothing has expired. We are just waiting for instructions from the government. As soon as we get new instructions, the distribution will be resumed.”

Meanwhile a status report has been sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Collaboration  (BIS). Foreign Affairs Minister Melvin Bouva recently discussed the matter with India’s ambassador to Suriname. The new government will evaluate the project and launch an investigation into the previous distributions before deciding what to do with the remaining 24 shipping containers. This project raises many questions because the previous administration allegedly spent about 1.1 billion Surinamese dollars on shipping, storage and distribution. The new administration wants to find out how the money was spent exactly. Documents also show that 132 shipping containers arrived while official reports always mentioned 112 shipping containers.

Bhikharie explained that the Indian government not only donated food but that it also covered all of the shipping costs. These shipments were granted import duty exemptions and exemption of Value Added Tax. The Surinamese government only had to cover the costs for the port, local storage and logistics. According to Bhikharie, the additional costs were made when the shipping containers were transported to the various districts for distribution. Bhikharie also explained that additional shipping containers arrived but that they were filled with research material for the Ministry of Agriculture, Stock Breeding and Fisheries. “It is now up to the government to get to the bottom of this,” said Bhikharie.

The India Food Grant Program became a controversial topic when the food parcels that were put in bags that represented a certain political party were handed out during the election campaign. Sources made it clear that “this was never part of the agreement with India.” The donation was explicitly made as humanitarian aid for the entire nation but most of all for vulnerable groups. Minister Bouva stated that the remaining food will go to vulnerable groups.