- Suriname presidential candidate Maya Parbhoe sees bitcoin as a means to achieve financial sovereignty and transparency.
- Maya Parbhoe wants to establish a decentralized economic system that protects citizens from local and international financial pressures.
Suriname presidential candidate Maya Parbhoe has revealed her bold vision for transforming the country’s economy. She has pledged, if elected, to make bitcoin legal tender from the first day of her mandate.
An entrepreneur and long-time bitcoin supporter, Parbhoe believes the cryptocurrency can help address some of Suriname’s most pressing economic challenges. These include high inflation, systemic government corruption, and very limited financial infrastructure.
Maya Parbhoe on bitcoin as legal tender
In a recent interview, Maya Parbhoe expressed her deep frustration with the current administration in Suriname. According to her, the government has only worsened existing corruption and mismanagement. “This government is worse than the previous one,” she remarked. She cites the deterioration of public services, particularly health care, as proof.
“People are tired. We really need a radical change, like in El Salvador,” she added, referring to the country’s historic decision to adopt bitcoin as legal tender in 2021. Inspired by this decision, Parbhoe is considering BTC as the heart of Suriname’s economy, as it will provide a path to financial sovereignty, transparency and resilience.
“Bitcoin should be our de facto currency, completely separating money from state,” she said. Furthermore, his plan goes beyond just legalizing bitcoin. She also wants to establish a system that protects Surinamese citizens from local and international pressure.
In addition, Ms. Parbhoe wants to make Suriname financially independent from traditional financial institutions, in particular the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She even criticized the IMF as an instrument of “monetary colonialism” that hinders the real economic progress of small nations. Recently, the IMF also tried to create an obstacle for El Salvador by asking it to limit the use of Bitcoin, CNF reported.
Thus, with the use of Bitcoin and its decentralized structure, it hopes to build an economic system free from any external interference.
Other pro-economy initiatives
Separately, Ms Parbhoe announced plans to create a “sovereign wealth fund” powered by the Liquid network to support universal basic income (UBI) and reduce reliance on income tax. “If we decentralize the flow of royalties and revenues, we reduce government control over resources, which directly benefits people,” she explained.
This initiative is part of its vision of a transparency-driven economy, in which citizens enjoy financial freedom without relying on central bank policies. To counterbalance these radical changes, Ms Parbhoe has drawn up detailed plans to attract foreign investors and digital nomads; those who can help boost Suriname’s economy without disrupting local culture.
She outlined her intention to avoid “gentrification and excessive tourism” while promoting sustainability initiatives with Bitcoin infrastructure at the heart. Its vision includes developing local talent in technology sectors while keeping the wealth generated within Suriname.
While Suriname is working on a Bitcoin strategy similar to that of El Salvador, recent reports suggest that only 7.5% of Salvadorans use Bitcoin for their transactions. BTC therefore serves more as a reserve asset and hedge against inflation.
A strong supporter of decentralization, Ms. Parbhoe ultimately aims to limit the power of government in Suriname. She even hopes to make herself useless, and possibly make the role of president useless. “I don’t want power…I want to make sure I don’t have to be in charge as soon as possible,” she remarked.
