Bronto Somohardjo: “This is just the tip of the iceberg”

The revelation of a list with the names of 400 people who work as policy advisors at the Ministry of Home Affairs (BIZA) is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Home Affairs Minister Bronto Somohardjo who added that most of these people lack the skills for this job. He pointed out that many things that are worse happened under the previous administration. Minister Somohardj has already taken the necessary steps to freeze the salaries of policy advisors who do not formally show up at work. “I will reveal the entire iceberg during the discussion of the national budget. I just want the people to realize which direction we are headed.”

Some of the people who are on the list do not even live in Suriname but their salaries were wired abroad every month. Several policy advisors do not have a clear job description and it is unclear why they are walking around at the ministry. Others do not show up for work but nevertheless get their money and the secondary benefits that come with this job. “They get a lot of money. There are a few who do a good job.” The list with the names of the 400 policy advisors has gone viral but Minister Somohardjo claimes that he had nothing to do with that. He explained that it was never his intention to be unpleasant to the people whose names are rightfully on the list. The list was produced for parliament. “A few people will be ‘hurt’ by this but the story must not be forgotten. The story is that hundreds of people were hired as policy advisor and that a large number of them do not work while another large number lack the skills and the know-how. And some of them even live abroad. That is the story.”