(De Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – At the end of June of this year, the total national debt, including guarantees and non-drawn loans amounted to some US$1.17 million. The amount comes to a little over US$800 million without these guarantees and non-drawn loans. By the end of 2010, the total national debt was around US$ 1.18 billion. This is written in the Financial Note 2012. At a press conference yesterday, President Desi Bouterse implied that, also due to the global economic situation, the government has cut back on its plans to carry out mega-projects in the coming years. Figures show that with the exception of 2007, the national debt rose consistently between 2006 and 2010. Although the government still has room to borrow on the basis of the Law on the National Debt, the Central Bank of Suriname has advised not to be too hasty in this matter. The Bank has advised the government “to see how the global economy is developing”.
