The MAS has three main tasks: Pilot Services, Maritime Affairs and Nautical Affairs, all placed under sub-departments. The latter is the department responsible for hydrography, navigational aids and Notice to Mariners. Nearly 120 persons are employed at the MAS, although the hydrographic office is relatively small, with only eight persons in this division. With the capacities of both hydrographic vessel Pasisi (2002) and the multipurpose vessel Marwina (1996) for navigational aid service and coastal surveys, and a DGPS system, we are able to collect almost all the necessary bathymetric data for the coastal zone and inland waters. As Suriname has no seaport, all the ports being located along the rivers, it is most important that the tidal and generally silted rivers are surveyed regularly. The hydrographic office collects and processes survey data and collects tidal information from various water-gauge stations. For the production of nautical charts and tidal predictions we have the assistance from the Hydrographic Office of The Netherlands.

The Maritime Authority of Suriname provides the growing need for data used for coastal zone management, dredging activities and many other infrastructure projects. There are partnerships with the University of Suriname and the Land Information Institute as well as a good relationship with other companies, such as Staatsolie, for whom data collection is important.
Nationally, the upgrading of the hydrographic office by renewal of equipment and training is one of the challenges for the coming years. By modernising the data collection and processing tools we will be able to dispose of a backlog on nautical charts of the rivers and at the same time improve our products. Accordingly, we are planning to successively update information on all the rivers, not least because of industrial and tourist developments along these rivers. Processing will also be improved by the planned introduction of GIS.

As the country is responsible for its sea at international level, the availability of data on this deep sea is one of our great concerns, but also one of our major challenges for the coming years. By good partnership with other companies and countries we will also be able to issue an INT chart of the sea.

Finally, some remarks on IHO. Nowadays, we are again involved in the regional IHO commission. We see this active participation as a good opportunity for transfer of knowledge, as our surrounding countries face comparable challenges. As far as our membership of the IHO is concerned, we plan to commit ourselves once more as an active member.