PARAMARIBO - Member of Parliament (MP) Xiaobao Zheng (PL) recently demanded an explanation regarding the loans that were taken by the Santokhi/Brunswijk...

administration. He pointed out that these loans contributed to the further increase of the inflation and that the accusing finger is wrongfully being pointed at the Simons/Rusland administration. MP Zheng who referred to the loan of SRD 600 million that was taken shortly before the general elections of May 25th, 2025 also mentioned the last report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “It is important to make clear that some financial experts are trying to create the picture which claims that this economic pressure is the result of the policy of the current administration. But the numbers are painting a different picture. In the period January 2025 until June 2025 about 600 million was borrowed,” said MP Zheng who made it clear that he expects Finance and Planning Minister Adelien Wijnerman to explain how the money was spent. “What was that SRD 600 million spent on? We do not have seen new production companies, structural investments that generate foreign currency, no visible improvement of our roads and no new schools. But today the people have to pay the price,” said MP Zheng. MP Zheng pointed out that the money from the loan could have been spent on structural improvements such as a pay increase in the education and police sector, strengthening of the agriculture and industry sector, the expansion of the export capacity, improvement of the infrastructure and the construction of new schools. “The purchasing power is under pressure, the exchange rate feels the tension and according to the IMF these effects of the policy will be directly visible in the macro economic figures,” said MP Zheng (PL).