Yearbook 2009
Suriname. According to countryaah, Siegfried Gilds, former Minister of Commerce under President Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan, was sentenced in early May to 12 months in prison for illegal money laundering and bribery by a Paramaribo court. The incident attracted extra attention because Gilds made himself known as a sworn enemy to illegal money laundering during his time as minister. Gilds is said to have helped a relative in the Netherlands who was involved in drug smuggling.
Economy
| Inflation rate | 22.00% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.9% |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) | $ 8,688,000,000 |
| GDP growth rate | 1.90% |
| GDP per capita | $ 14,900 |
| GDP by sector | |
| Agriculture | 11.60% |
| Industry | 31.10% |
| Service | 57.40% |
| State budget | |
| Revenue | 392.6 million |
| Expenditure | 425.9 million |
| Proportion of the population below the national poverty line | 70% |
| Distribution of household income | |
| Top 10% | k. A. |
| Lower 10% | k. A. |
| Industrial production growth rate | -2.00% |
| Investment volume | |
| National debt | 69.30% of GDP |
| Foreign exchange reserves | $ 381,100,000 |
| Tourism | 2014 |
| Number of visitors | 252,000 |
| Revenue | $ 103,000,000 |
An even more notable case during the year was the charge against former dictator Desi Bouterse, who is charged with murder committed during his time as head of state in the 1980s. The case was resumed at the beginning of the year after a lengthy stay because Bouterse did not approve one of the judgments in the case.