PARAMARIBO, Suriname (CMC) — The Suriname government says it remains optimistic that the second International Business Conference (IBC) and Diaspora Business Summit will help promote prosperity and growth in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

The three-day IBC conference begins on February 4, while the first Diaspora Business Summit is scheduled to begin on Wednesday until February 15.

The first IBC was held in Guyana and the event is being organised by the bilateral Guyana-Suriname Chamber of Commerce that brings together companies from both countries, especially from the oil and gas sector.

However, the focus of the conference goes beyond this sector, with special attention to non-oil sectors such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, tourism, technology and other services.

Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation (BIBIS) Minister, Albert Ramdin said he believes that diversification of the economy is essential for the future of Suriname.

“It is important that we do not only depend on oil and gas, but that we also develop the other sectors. This conference offers a unique opportunity to attract international investments, which will lead to employment and stable, sustainable growth of our economy,” he said.

During the IBC, business-to-business meetings will take place, where companies will have the opportunity to do concrete business and forge partnerships. It is expected that companies from various regions, including Southeast Asia, Africa, the Netherlands, America, Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname, will attend the conference. The conference offers a platform to facilitate investments and enter new markets.

Ramdin said that the first Diaspora Business Summit is designed to involve Surinamese entrepreneurs, both in the Netherlands, the United States and other parts of the world, in the economic development of their home country.

“The diaspora has an important role to play in the future of Suriname. We want to mobilise the capacities, networks and knowledge of our diaspora to strengthen economic growth,” Ramdin said, noting that interest in Suriname is growing worldwide.

“We want to strengthen our ties with the international community and invest in a sustainable future for our society. This is the beginning of a mindset shift that will take Suriname to new heights,” he added.