Fourth Edition of the International Business Conference Gets Underway

Fourth Edition of the International Business Conference Gets Underway

From Potential to Realisation

By Euritha Tjan A Way | de Ware Tijd | 14 October 2026

PARAMARIBO — The heat outside is intense when the International Business Conference (IBC) gets underway at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the Assuria Highrise Event Centre. Although the heat is less noticeable indoors, the sense of anticipation is palpable. The IBC brings together investors, business leaders, decision-makers and entrepreneurs from around the world in one place. This international atmosphere is also evident at the entrance, where conversations can be heard in a variety of languages.

Participants from Suriname and Guyana, as well as the United States, Curaçao and Trinidad and Tobago, are among those attending. “To make sure we do not miss this boat,” explains Richard Douglas from Texas, describing why he has come. Working in the transport sector, he sees opportunities to invest in Suriname. “I see a transport industry that is still in the Stone Age,” he says with a laugh and a distinctly American accent.

Like Douglas, many others are looking forward to investment opportunities in Suriname as the country prepares for the financial benefits of offshore oil production.

Building Connections

At the opening of the IBC, speakers repeatedly emphasise the conference's fundamental purpose. Mark Sookhai, chairman of the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce, which is organising the conference for the fourth time with partners in Suriname and Guyana, explains in his opening address that its primary objective is to connect business leaders with local entrepreneurs and decision-makers.

“In today's world, doing business successfully requires access to the right information and, just as importantly, access to the people who make the decisions.”

The IBC is designed to facilitate these connections. “We guide investors by connecting them with local entrepreneurs, relevant government officials and diplomatic representatives,” Sookhai explains.

In his speech, he reflects on Suriname's cultural diversity and shares fond memories of the country, from Colakreek to the Paramaribo Zoo. He also recalls a time when travelling between Suriname and Guyana was only possible by small boats, saying that the special relationship between the two countries was already clear to him then.

He believes this relationship should be strengthened through business, creating mutual benefits and opportunities for trade and investment across the region and beyond.

The theme of this fourth edition of the IBC is “From Energy to Industry: Investing in the Suriname-Guyana Value Chain.” According to the organisers, the time has come for Suriname to move from potential to realisation.

The event also saw the launch of the latest edition of the Who's Who magazine. Its publisher, Vishnu Doerga, explains the importance of making local businesses more visible to potential investors.

“Investors need to know which companies exist and what they do; otherwise, they will not be able to find them.”

The cover features the new floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel associated with the GranMorgu project. Doerga explains that the name GranMorgu represents “a new morning, a new beginning”, reflecting what offshore oil could mean for Suriname.

Investment Legislation

Doerga encourages businesses to prepare themselves to participate in the country's emerging economic opportunities. However, he stresses that visibility alone is not enough.

“Companies that have their affairs in order are the ones that get selected, and that is how we move from talking to implementation. I am committed to making this dream a reality for my grandchildren. I encourage you to do the same. Oil alone is not the end goal. It is the lasting impact that will make the difference,” he says.

At the end of the first day, President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons also attended the conference. She stated that she expects the IBC to generate practical, implementable projects that could be brought to fruition with government support.

“Because potential alone is not enough. Oil and gas alone are not enough either,” she said.

According to President Simons, work is underway on an Investment Act. Melvin Bouva, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation, indicated that the proposed legislation was already on his desk.

Original Source: https://dwtonline.com/vierde-editie-international-business-conference-gestart/