Suriname Lawmaker Says Banks Limit Marowijne Loans

Economy: Suriname

A member of Suriname’s parliament says banks give small businesses in Marowijne district smaller and costlier loans because they still treat it as a war zone. Genevievre Jordan made the claim in the National Assembly on Tuesday, and no bank has been named or has replied in the reports we found.

What We Know

Jordan, a lawmaker for the General Liberation and Development Party (ABOP), spoke in the National Assembly on Tuesday 6 October 2026. Local news sites Starnieuws and Waterkant reported her remarks on Wednesday 7 October.

ABOP supports the coalition of President Jennifer Simons. Jordan raised the issue as a matter of equal chances for small entrepreneurs.

According to Jordan, a small firm that asks a bank for a loan is told that its business lies in Marowijne, a war zone. She said that means the firm will not get the full amount and will pay a higher interest rate.

What Jordan Told Parliament

Jordan said it is widely known that Marowijne stopped being a war zone long ago. She asked the government to make sure that every institution in Suriname follows the law.

She also called on the government to investigate which banks apply such terms. Starnieuws reported that she wants any such practice investigated, so that entrepreneurs in the district get equal chances to obtain financing.

“It has to stop now that these entrepreneurs are discriminated against,” Jordan said, according to Waterkant. “They have a right to equal chances to set up their business.”

She added a point about the wider economy. Jordan said the country’s difficult economic situation is a reason to give these entrepreneurs room.

Why the War Zone Label Persists

Marowijne had 18,294 inhabitants at the 2012 census, according to the national statistics office. Albina, its capital, lies on the river that forms the border with French Guiana.

The label goes back to Suriname’s Interior War, fought in the east of the country between 1986 and 1992. Fighting began on 22 July 1986, when rebels of the Jungle Commando attacked the army barracks in Albina.

Jordan said the status stems from a decision dated 2 December 1986, which she says was withdrawn on 1 September 1989. She also said a former president had told parliament that Marowijne is not a war zone.

According to historical accounts, Albina was burned in December 1986 during the interior war, after fighting between the army and the Jungle Commando guerrillas. That memory explains why the district’s name still carries weight, even though the fighting ended more than three decades ago.

What Local Officials Say

Marvin Vyent, the district commissioner for Marowijne North-East, told Sun Web TV in September that the old image no longer fits. “I have been here a year and I have never seen war,” he said, as Suriname Herald reported on 12 September.

Vyent said a financial institution had recently told him it would not open a bank in Albina because of the area’s supposed war zone status. He wants the government to remove old designations and rules that still treat Albina that way, because they put off entrepreneurs and investors.

Henry Kia, the regional police commander, said in early September that there is crime in Albina. “It is not the image people have in Paramaribo,” he said, according to Suriname Herald.

Albina faces French Guiana across the Marowijne river. Suriname Herald reported on 12 September that Vyent sees the cross-border traffic as a chance for growth.

What Is Not Known

Jordan named no bank, and the reports we found carry no reply from any bank. We could not confirm which lenders, if any, apply the terms she described.

We also found no official text showing whether any rule still labels Marowijne a war zone for lending purposes. The dates Jordan cited, 2 December 1986 and 1 September 1989, are her account and not yet checked against the legal texts.

It is not known whether the government will respond to her call for an investigation. The Central Bank of Suriname, which supervises the banking sector, had not commented in the reports we found.

What It Means for US Readers and Investors

For US readers, the story is a reminder that credit in a small economy preparing for oil income is not spread evenly across the map. Suriname’s coverage hub tracks how banks and the state handle that gap.

The Surinamese dollar traded around SRD 37.5 to 37.8 per US$1 in early October, according to the Central Bank of Suriname. Any firm borrowing in local currency therefore faces both interest costs and exchange-rate risk.

Jordan herself linked the complaint to the strained economy, and any extra interest on a small loan weighs more when money is tight. We found no published data on lending terms by district.

Investors should treat Jordan’s claim as an allegation until a bank or regulator speaks. The test will be whether the government, the banks or the central bank publish an answer.

More: Suriname news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Marowijne in Suriname?

Marowijne is a district in north-eastern Suriname on the river border with French Guiana. Its capital, Albina, had about 5,000 inhabitants at the 2012 census.

Why would banks call Marowijne a war zone?

According to Jordan, lenders still point to the area’s status from the 1986 to 1992 Interior War. She says the official decision behind that status was withdrawn on 1 September 1989.

Which banks does the lawmaker accuse?

Jordan did not name any bank. She asked the government to investigate which lenders apply the terms she described.

Have the banks or the government responded?

In the reports we found, neither has replied publicly. Vice President Gregory Rusland said the government would address education problems in parliament on Thursday 8 October, and we found no mention of banking.

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