New trade finance partnership to help Surinamese businesses grow, create jobs, and strengthen access to essential goods

Paramaribo, Suriname, May 15, 2026 - To support Suriname's private sector at a pivotal moment for the economy, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Finabank N.V. signed a new trade finance facility designed to help local businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), import the inputs they need, expand exports, and create jobs.

Under the agreement, IFC will provide a facility through its Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP), issuing guarantees to international banks for eligible transactions originated by Finabank. By enhancing confidence in trade finance instruments like letter of credits, the partnership is expected to facilitate access to global markets for Surinamese SMEs, while also expanding consumer choice and strengthening resilience in sectors such as agribusiness, energy, and infrastructure.

"This partnership with IFC marks an important milestone for Finabank and for Suriname's financial sector," said Eblein Frangie, Finabank's Chief Executive Officer. "It reinforces our ability to support businesses engaged in international trade and reflects our continued commitment to promoting local economic development. We are proud to collaborate with IFC in strengthening Suriname's integration into the global economy."

"This facility arrives at a pivotal moment for Suriname's private sector. Through IFC's Global Trade Finance Program, we can unlock much-needed trade finance for local SMEs and keep supply chains moving," said Elizabeth Martínez de Marcano, IFC's Division Director for the Andean Countries and the Caribbean. "The impact is tangible: timely inputs for producers, greater export capacity, and more employment, helping to ensure households have access to essential goods while reinforcing Suriname's path to resilient and sustainable growth."

This marks IFC's first investment in Suriname in more than a decade and directly supports the World Bank Group's Country Partnership Framework 2025-2028, which prioritizes private sector investments as one of its high-level objectives.

For Suriname's business community, the facility is expected to improve predictability in trade confirmations and strengthen access to international markets as demand grows in energy services, construction, and commercial imports. By channeling more finance to local businesses, the agreement will help them secure inputs, fulfill orders, and expand employment, ultimately contributing to stronger and more diversified economic growth.

The agreement was signed in Paramaribo in the presence of the Governor of the Central Bank and the Minister of Finance and Planning, along with senior representatives from Finabank and IFC.

With this new facility, Finabank joins IFC's Global Trade Finance Program, which connects issuing banks in emerging markets with a broad network of international confirming banks, providing risk mitigation that unlocks trade and economic growth. Since its launch, the program has provided $137 billion in trade finance support across 100 emerging markets.