Newmont Mining Corporation CEO Gary Goldberg is seen at the opening last month of the Merian gold mine, in Sipaliwini district, Suriname, which President Dési Bouterse expects will boost the economy of the small struggling South American country. Bouterse outlined how his government was taking the unprecedented step of participating as an equal partner in the mining venture that has a reserve of five-million ounces of gold, which will be mined at a rate of between 400 000 oz/y and 500 000 oz/y. With Suriname inflation close to 80% a year, Economic Association president Winston Ramautarsing says the mine will help improve the poor economic situation, which will also soon benefit from a range of new incentives for local entrepreneurs and investors to produce and export new products. Suriname’s political opposition said the mine’s impact would have been more positive had government not indebted itself with a $550-million bond earlier this year.