Suriname seniors face poverty as AOV pension remains below living costs

In Suriname, discussions regarding the General Old Age Provision (AOV) highlight significant financial struggles for senior citizens. Currently, a person aged 60 or older receives a total monthly amount of SRD 5,050, which includes the base AOV, purchasing power reinforcement, and KKV.

However, this total remains below the estimated poverty line of SRD 7,000. NPS faction leader Jerrel Pawiroredjo and VHP parliamentarian Harriet Ramdien have called for the government to address this gap, suggesting that the AOV should be raised to at least SRD 7,000 to better reflect the actual cost of living for essentials such as food, medicine, transport, and energy.