IFC and Finabank seal trade finance pact to boost Suriname SMEs and exports

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), which sits within the World Bank Group, and Finabank N.V. have entered a new trade finance arrangement meant to bolster Suriname’s private sector at a critical point for the economy. The facility targets local companies—particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—that need to bring in production inputs, widen export sales, and generate employment.

Under the arrangement, IFC will extend support through its Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP), placing guarantees with international banks for qualifying transactions that Finabank originates. Officials expect the setup to raise confidence in trade instruments such as letters of credit, ease entry to global markets for Surinamese SMEs, broaden consumer options, and build resilience in areas including 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.”

The commitment is IFC’s first in Suriname in over a decade and backs the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework 2025–2028, which places private sector investment among its leading goals.

For Suriname’s business community, the line is expected to make trade confirmations more predictable and improve links to international markets as demand builds in energy services, construction, and commercial imports. Directing more financing to local operators should help them secure supplies, meet orders, and grow payrolls, supporting stronger and more varied economic expansion.

The pact was inked in Paramaribo with the Governor of the Central Bank and the Minister of Finance and Planning present, alongside senior leaders from Finabank and IFC.

Finabank now forms part of IFC’s Global Trade Finance Program, which pairs issuing banks in emerging economies with a wide network of international confirming banks and uses risk mitigation to free up trade and growth. Since the programme started, it has delivered US$137 billion in trade finance support across 100 emerging markets.