The European Commission and the International Telecommunication Union in association with The Government of The Republic of Suriname Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and the Telecommunication Authority of Suriname present The Second Consultation Workshop for Working Groups 2 and 3 of the HIPCAR Project 1 Courtyard Marriott, Paramaribo, Suriname 12-15 April 2010 PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS 1 The full title of the HIPCAR Project - funded by the European Commission and ITU, in collaboration with CTU - is Enhancing Competitiveness in the Caribbean through the Harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulatory Procedures. HIPCAR is part of a global ITU/EC project encompassing Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands (ACP) supported and funded by the European Union (see http://www.itu.int/itu- D/projects/ITU_EC_ACP/hipcar/index.html). 1
We welcome you to the Consultation Workshop. Following, you will find some practical information regarding your participation in this event. Arrival and departure The main airport is J.A. Pengel Airport at Zanderij. This is about 60 minutes from Paramaribo, and taxis and buses are readily available. Suriname Airways, Caribbean Airlines and other airlines provide connections from Amsterdam, New York, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, with several regional hubs also linked with Suriname. These include the French Department of La Guyane, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago (via Caribbean Airlines), Curaçao and Brazil (Belem). The event will take place at the Courtyard Marriott, Paramaribo, Suriname from 12 April to 15 April 2010. As soon as you have made your corresponding flight reservations, kindly provide your flight arrival and departure details to the HIPCAR Project Assistant (email: nicole.morain@itu.int). Requirements upon arrival at J. A. Pengel International Airport at Zanderij Present a valid passport (for at least six months) with a valid visa (where applicable see below) Completed Immigration Arrival Card. Immunization Card/Yellow Fever Card 2 A copy of return ticket Customs and Immigrations require that you must have the name and address of where you will be staying for the duration of your visit. Please ensure that you have this information handy upon arrival into Suriname. Visa Information Many visitors from outside of CARICOM require visas. These can only be provided at the airport if organised in advance by a local tour operator or contact. Alternatively they may be obtained from a Suriname diplomatic mission. Details on the corresponding requirements and the application form can be obtained online at http://www.surinameembassy.org/visa_passport.shtml If you require a VISA for entry into Suriname please complete the VISA assistance form annexed and submit to the HIPCAR Project Assistant (email: nicole.morain@itu.int) no later than 31 March 2010. 2 Travelers might be required to show proof of a yellow fever vaccination. 2
Airport Transfers Taxi and bus transportation from the airport to the city is easily available just outside the arrivals area; taxi transportation to the airport from the city can be arranged in the lobby area of most hotels. The approximate cost from J. A. Pengel Airport to the workshop venue is: Airport shuttle service, on request, fee: 10.00 USD (one way) Bus service, fee: 10.00 USD (one way) Estimated taxi fare: 30.00 USD (one way) Airport Tax One should not expect to pay a departure tax at the airport, as this is usually included in the cost of the ticket. Workshop Venue The venue for the Second Consultation Workshop for WG 2 and 3 is: Courtyard Marriott Paramaribo Anton Dragtenweg 52-54 Paramaribo, Suriname Phone: +597 4 56000 Fax: +597 4 56677 The workshop venue is centrally located, 5 minutes from downtown and just 60 minutes from J. A. Pengel International Airport. Participants entitlements There is no Workshop participation fee for any of the participants. Participants receiving fellowships from ITU will be provided with a return economy class ticket to Suriname from their home countries as well as a Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA). This DSA is intended to cover all of the participant s costs of accommodation, meals, local transportation, communications and incidentals. (Note: the cost of lunches and coffee breaks during the event will be covered separately by the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism, the Telecommunication Authority Suriname and by ITU.) Participants not covered by ITU fellowships will be required to pay their own travel, accommodation and other expenses. Accommodation Participants may stay at the accommodation of their choice, and are responsible for handling their hotel reservations directly. However, in order to facilitate access to the workshop venue, the ITU has blocked a limited numbers of rooms, at a special rate, at the Courtyard Marriott. Please note that this room block is available until 05 April, on a first come first served basis. Participants are therefore encouraged to make all arrangements in a timely manner, to benefit from this preferred room rate. 3
For your convenience online room reservation has been set up, and is just a click away, simply follow either of the following links (either click on the link or copy and paste it into your browser): Courtyard Paramaribo >> Or: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pbmcy?groupcode=ituitua&app=resvlink&fr omdate=4/11/10&todate=4/18/10 You will be directed to the property's home page with the special conference code already entered in the appropriate field. All you need to do is enter your arrival and check-out date to begin the reservation process (currently set at 11 and 18 April respectively). The special room rates for the Courtyard Marriott are US$108.00 inclusive of taxes, breakfast and bus transfer from the airport (single occupancy), and US$127.00 inclusive of taxes, breakfast and bus transfer from the airport (double occupancy). Working Language Dutch is the official language of Suriname, however, English is widely spoken. The Workshop will be conducted in English. Paperless Event In the spirit of efficiency and economy, the event will rely on Web transmission of documents. Health & Accident Insurance ITU can accept no responsibility for covering participants health & accident costs. All participants must therefore ensure that they are fully covered by health & accident insurance for the duration of their travel and their participation in the workshop. For information about vaccination requirements and health information for travellers please consult the World Health Organization s (WHO) website at: http://www.who.int/ith/en/. Other Practical Information on The Republic of Suriname Climate & Traffic Typical of the tropics, Suriname enjoys generous amounts of warm weather cooled by ocean breezes for most of the year. Sitting outside of the hurricane belt, Suriname experiences two dry seasons and two rainy seasons. During the period of the workshop, Suriname will be into the short dry season February - April. There is usual rush hour traffic from approximately 7am to 9am, 12 noon 1pm and from 4pm to 6pm, in the downtown district. Time 4
UTC/GMT-3 Currency The local currency is the Surinamese Dollar SRD (US$1 = SRD$2.85 approx bank rate). The local currency is the Surinamese Dollar SRD, and money exchange facilities are readily available in Paramaribo and the district towns. For the latest on exchange rates visit the following site (please either click on the link or copy and paste it into your browser): www.xe.com/ucc/ or www.oanda.com/convert/classic For further information, please contact: Name: Ms. Nicole Morain Title: HIPCAR Project Assistant ITU-EC Project Address: 3 rd Floor, Victoria Suites, 14-17 Victoria Square, Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies Email: nicole.morain@itu.int Office No.: +1.868.627.0281/623.0347 Name: Ms. Kerstin Ludwig Title: HIPCAR Project Coordinator ITU-EC Project Address: 3 rd Floor, Victoria Suites, 14-17 Victoria Square, Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies Email: kerstin.ludwig@itu.int Office No.: +1.868.627.0281/623.0347 Name: Mr. Sandro Bazzanella Title: ITU-EC Project Manager Address: Place des Nations, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland Email: sandro.bazzanella@itu.int Office No.: +41.22.730.6183 Fax No.: +41.22.730.6204 5
ANNEX 1 REQUEST FOR VISA APPLICATION ASSISTANCE Second Consultation Workshop of Working Groups 2 and 3 of the HIPCAR Project Suriname, 12-15 April 2010 Please return to: NICOLE MORAIN HIPCAR Project Assistant ITU-EC Project E-mail : nicole.morain@itu.int Tel: +1 868 627 0281 Request for assistance to be submitted no later than 31 March, 2010 Country Name of the Administration or Organization Mr. / Ms(family name) (given names, as it appears in passport ) Title Intended Length of Stay Purpose of Visit PASSPORT INFORMATION : Date of birth Place of Birth Gender Nationality at birth Nationality at present Passport number Date of issue Issued In (place) Valid until (date) 6