The Gold Marketing Chain in Suriname - WWF, Abu Dhabi unveil ...

Acknowledgements
Conducting this study would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of
many people in Suriname.
We wish to thank numerous government officials for sharing their time and knowledge. A
special word of thank is reserved for officials from the Currency Commission, the Central Bank
of Suriname, the customs offices and police departments in Albina and Nickerie, the Ministry of
Trade and Industry, the Chamber of Commerce, the District Commissioner’s office in
Paramaribo North, and others. These public experts have helped us understand the often
contrasting legal and factual realities of the gold market, and provided figures that have
allowed us to demonstrate trends in gold marketing
We also are grateful to the many private businessmen and ‐women who provided information
about their activities and role in the gold market. These key players in the market included gold
buyers and exporters, gold miners and others working in the mining areas, concessionaries,
jewelers and goldsmiths. We appreciate the open manner in which they discussed their ways of
operation in a market that is tough, competitive, and secretive. Out of respect for the privacy
of the respondents, we have as much as possible avoided to link the names of people with
controversial commentaries and private information.
Several other resource persons filled in gaps in information or provided a broader view of the
sector. I would like to thank Ms. Caprino (historian), Mr. Healy (anthropologist), and Mr. Tjon
Sie Kie, and several WWF‐Guianas staff members for their insights. Nancy del Prado and Gina
Griffith located and analyzed national laws and permit conditions to perform the legal analysis
for this report. Paul San assisted with the survey among jewelers and other data collection.
This study is commissioned by WWF‐Guianas, in the context of its Guianas Sustainable Resource
Management Project (GSRMP) 2007‐2011. We are grateful to the Dutch Government (DGIS),
French Government (FFEM) and WWF‐NL for providing financial support to make this project
possible.
Opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the
views of WWF‐Guianas or other institutions the consultant is affiliated with. The consultant is
responsible for all errors in translation and interpretation.
Marieke Heemskerk
25 August, 2010
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