PARAMARIBO–Economist Adeline Wijnerman will be the new Minister of Finance, Krin Denki, the news website of President Desi Bouterse’s National Democratic Party (NDP) revealed on Tuesday June 15th. Both the President and Wijnerman have meanwhile confirmed the news.

Wijnerman is a 46-year-old career civil servant, who for the past five years has served as the Director of the Ministry. She replaces Wonnie Boedhoe who on Friday June 8th abruptly resigned, citing personal circumstances.

Krin Denki (Sranan for Pure Thoughts) reports that President Bouterse is happy with the replacement. Wijnerman is a staunch supporter of NDP and “we’re lucky to find someone who has been at the Ministry for years and knows its ins and outs,” the President is quoted as saying. He said that Wijnerman, who has more than 20 years at the Ministry, is the ideal candidate for the job.

Wijnerman will be sworn in on Wednesday June 16. Former Minister Boedhoe’s resignation and Wijnerman’s appointment come just days before Government presents the 2012 budget to Parliament. Boedhoe prepared it, supposedly with Wijnerman’s involvement.

Boedhoe is the second Minister to last less than a year in Bouterse’s Cabinet;  the President in December 2010, less than four months after his Government took reign, fired Minister Martinus Sastroredjo of Spatial Planning, Domain and Forestry Management over irregularities with land issuance.

Bouterse has recently hinted that he is not satisfied with the performance of several people in his team. He named no names and  blamed “broken” infrastructures within Government for the performance of the people in question, but said on Tuesday though that he doesn’t intend to keep replacing people. “If you do, you confuse things,” he told journalists.

PARAMARIBO–Finance Minister Wonnie Boedhoe abruptly resigned on Friday June 8th, citing personal circumstances, President Desi Bouterse’s office has said. “In consultation with Mrs Boedhoe will be examined how she would be deployed and how the transfer of the Ministry of Finance will take place,” a statement from the president’s office read. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Lackin will temporarily fill in the post. Speculations are meanwhile abound one who will replace Boedhoe permanently.

According to the statement, Bouterse accepted Boedhoe’s request and thanked her for her service since her appointment 10 months ago. Boedhoe is the second Minister to last less than a year in Bouterse’s Cabinet;  Bouterse in December, less than four months after his Government took reign, fired Minister Martinus Sastroredjo of Spatial Planning, Domain and Forestry Management.

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Finance Minister Boedhoe

Suriname has removed itself from the list of Caribbean countries that places levies on the import of investment goods. Finance Minister Wonnie Boedhoe, on Thursday announced that taxes on heavy equipment imports have been slashed by 40 percent, daily newspaper De Ware Tijd has reported. Welcome news for manufacturers, who sometimes had to pay up to US$ 5,000 in taxes to import modern equipment.