Doing business in Para
Para lies south of Paramaribo and Wanica. The capital is Onverwacht. It is home to Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport at Zanderij. The population grew 31.7% between 2004 and 2012 to 24,700.
On this page (8)
- Economy: International airport, timber, farming, recreation.
- Local licences: the district commissioner (food and drink, events, street stalls, Nuisance Act).
- National: KKF registration, FIN tax number and taxes; the rules are the same everywhere in Suriname.
- Figures: census 2012 (ABS), the latest official count.
Economy and employers
Para was long the heart of the bauxite industry. Suralco's alumina refinery at Paranam was idled in November 2015, and in January 2017 Alcoa announced its permanent closure. Today forestry (in the south), farming (among others cassava, yard-long beans and pineapple) and recreation along creeks and in the savanna matter most. The district has many Indigenous villages.
Access and infrastructure
Indira Gandhiweg links Paramaribo via Lelydorp with the airport at Zanderij, the country's main international airport. The road to Afobaka and Brokopondo runs through Para.
Opportunities for business
- Airport services: transport, storage, air cargo, catering, accommodation.
- Recreation parks and day trips for people from Greater Paramaribo.
- Timber and wood processing, with registration and inspection by SBB.
- Pineapple, cassava and processed products (cassava bread, juices) for the city.
These are possibilities that fit the district economy, not a promise of customers. Test an idea first with conversations and numbers. Writing a business plan
Practical: where to arrange what
Local licences: district commissioner's office Para in Onverwacht. KKF registration and tax matters are handled in Paramaribo. If your activity affects the area of an Indigenous village, talk to the village leadership (kapitein) first.
The district commissioner's forms, fees and processing times are not published centrally. Check them with the office before you rent or invest. How district government works: Business by district.
Ressorts
Para is divided into 5 ressorts:
- Bigi Poika
- Carolina
- Noord
- Oost
- Zuid
Guides that help next
- Start a business
- Business licences
- Buying land and property
- Business financing
- Hiring staff
- Tenders
- Starting an agribusiness
- Exporting from Suriname
Other districts
- Paramaribo
- Wanica
- Nickerie
- Coronie
- Saramacca
- Commewijne
- Marowijne
- Brokopondo
- Sipaliwini
- Compare all districts
Sources
- ABS: Definitieve resultaten Census 8, bevolking en oppervlakte per district
- ABS: Census 8 districtsresultaten Nickerie, Coronie, Saramacca, Commewijne en Para (2014)
- Pulitzer Center: Paranam en het einde van Suralco (2017)
- Para District (Wikipedia)
- Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (Wikipedia)
Population and area: ABS (General Bureau of Statistics), Eighth Census 2012 (final results). The ninth census has been carried out, but ABS has not published results yet; the current population is likely different.
Checked on 26 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.