Ori cannot guarantee school start on November 1

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During the discussion of the Procurement Act in the National Assembly (DNA), Ronny Asabina, leader of the BEP faction, once again called attention to the start of schools in the interior. Minister Henry Ori stated that his ministry has carried out as many payments as possible over the past weeks with the support of the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
However, yesterday morning, he received word that some boat operators with accounts at Finabank have not yet received payments. “We are still aiming for a November 1 start, but I cannot provide a guarantee because we depend on factors that are not entirely within our control,” said Ori.
The minister asked for understanding, as although financial arrears are being addressed, there are additional issues, such as low water levels, drinking water supply, and logistical challenges that also need to be resolved. “Some problems are beyond our influence,” Ori emphasized.
Assembly President Marinus Bee called the situation “a very serious matter” and urged the ministers to do everything possible to meet the November 1 start date. “It’s already a month past October 1,” said Bee, highlighting that parliamentarians are constantly confronted with issues in the interior. Bee also mentioned that the parliament is willing to offer support if the ministry needs additional resources.
Rabin Parmessar, leader of the NDP faction, noted that while the minister seems sympathetic, repeating the same answers does not provide a solution. “What can we achieve in the few remaining days?” Parmessar asked, pointing out that schools often remain closed or suffer from a serious lack of teachers.
NDP Assembly member Ebu Jones agreed and said the minister should not claim that money is the only problem: “Let the President travel less, and avoid awarding contracts in Nickerie without a bidding process.” Mahinder Jogi (VHP) called for transparency and urged honesty instead of making promises that cannot be kept.
Bee suggested setting up an interdepartmental task force to mobilize other ministries to help. He stressed that it is crucial to do everything possible to open the schools on November 1, as many schools already started a month earlier.
Minister Ori indicated that the ministry is doing everything possible to meet the start date but could not provide complete assurance. He said he wanted to be cautious with promises: “If it turns out that schools cannot start on November 1, it will be due to circumstances beyond our control,” said Ori.