Suriname is preparing for much more than economic benefits from its anticipated oil boom, and the nation is firmly committed to a broad strategy in which safety plays a key role, says Minister Patrick Brunings of Oil, Gas, and Environment.
According to Brunings, the National Environmental Authority (NMA), established in 2024, is particularly important in this strategy. He also believes the government’s establishment of a separate ministry for Oil, Gas, and Environment is proof that it is taking upcoming oil-driven developments seriously.
“As a ministry, we have multiple tasks. Preventing the Dutch disease is a major responsibility…also when it comes to legislation, disaster management, and accelerating certain processes to ensure things run smoothly so that we can face the oil boom without much disruption in the community. There are a number of issues, and safety is certainly not least,” the minister explains.
The country has therefore been working for some time on revising its National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP).
