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The Ministries of Public Works (OW), Regional Development and Sport (ROS), the business community and operators of catering in Suriname, have joined forces to give the city center of Paramaribo a new look. In the presence of OW minister Riad Nurmohamed, a covenant has been signed at the Paramaribo North-East district commissioner’s office, in which 15 points have been summarized to organize the city center or make it attractive. Minister Nurmohamed emphasized that a full ministerial team is behind the agreement. He noted that the Surinamese government and the business community have been investing in the city center for years. However, things also need to be tackled faster and better.
The minister will appoint a special person to report on progress under the agreement. The minister himself has recently oriented himself more often in the city center and had conversations with entrepreneurs. He called on this group to immediately pass on proposals to the ministry. Entrepreneurs and citizens could also do a lot themselves. Minister Nurmohamed says that the ministry will divest part of the work within the agreement. According to him, the city center is important for the government. In its pursuit of improvement, the private sector can also make a contribution. The OW minister asked the business community to adopt a critical attitude so that the program can run smoothly. He will appeal to the various district commissioners to organize such initiatives in their district as well.
District Commissioner Ricardo Bhola believes that the inner city must be restored to its former glory. All parties must think in the same direction. They will have to participate, participate in decision-making and advise the government. “The city center is part of our cultural heritage and we must use it sparingly,” said the mayor. He emphasizes that local visitors and tourists should be able to stay in a safe and clean environment. DC Bhola is supported in this by Robin Roemer, chairman of the Paramaribo Uitgangscentrum. It recalled the main objectives of the sub-area when it was established in 1996, namely to beautify, secure and preserve cultural heritage. Roemer speaks of an extensive catchment area, which runs from the Waterkant to the Watermolenstraat-Grote Combéweg-Mahonylaan-Cornelis Jongbawstraat-Mr. Rietbergplein-Kleine Waterstraat. The chairman says that the catering industry present is experiencing similar problems. According to him, more and more companies are emerging with new objectives. “Looking at recent developments, I think the agreement should have been in place long ago,” said Roemer, who considers it important that government and private sector go hand-in-hand in this regard.
Conrad Issa, who also sealed the agreement on behalf of entrepreneurs in the inner city, explained that everything started with an initiative by the entrepreneurs to work with the government to stop the decline of the inner city. Soon there was support from other companies and sections of society. Minister Nurmohamed also made himself available to discuss the daily bottlenecks with the group. The whole led to a small plan and ultimately the document that has enough support due to the support of the parties. The most important of the 15 points are making the city center attractive, tackling the lighting, repairing sidewalks and tackling the drainage problem. Like Issa, Bholanath Narain, director of Public Green & Waste Management, praised the way in which the parties support each other. He further emphasized citizen participation and said he was convinced that action will now be taken in the interest of the inner city, society and business.
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