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I am following the Jamaica Diaspora Biennial Conference in Jamaica in the news and seeing pictures on social media. I can't help but think by these statements and the images of a marketplace with trinkets is that all they want for the diaspora is their money. I have felt this way for years but these images and statement seem to confirm it. What are your throughts?
Industry Minister says the Diaspora is an untapped investment market for Jamaica
Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Anthony Hylton says the Diaspora remains an untapped investment market for Jamaica and that there is a special role for the Diaspora in Jamaica’s growth and economic development agenda.
Speaking on Monday, June 17th at the 5th Annual Jamaica Diaspora Conference being held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Minister Hylton noted that even though there are Jamaicans already making significant investments in the country, the Government is committed to building on the efforts to engage the Diaspora more, bringing it into the mainstream of economic activity.
In a room almost filled to capacity, Minister Hylton outlined the Governments plans for the development of the Jamaica Global Logistics Hub. He noted that steps are well underway towards the establishment of a global financial services centre in Jamaica, which will offer complementary services to the logistics industry. He said this is a key initiative for investment stimulation, job creation and revenue generation.
Read the rest here - http://go-jamaica.com/pressrelease/item.php?id=2209
Diaspora conferences - WASTED! Tufton claims meetings not focused on right matters
Source: Go - Jamaica
Writer: Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN on foreign affairs and foreign trade, Dr Christopher Tufton, has stopped just short of describing the staging of diaspora conferences as a waste of time, arguing that Jamaica has yet to benefit significantly from the planning of these events.
"If previous diaspora conferences will determine how this one will be conducted and concluded, it would have been a scenario where we would not have maximised on the planning and the resources spent to organise these events," Tufton said during a Gleaner Editors' Forum held at the newspaper's Kingston offices last Friday.
The fifth staging of the biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference opened yesterday in Montego Bay, St James, and will end on Wednesday. It is being held under the theme 'A Nation on a Mission: Jamaica-Diaspora Partnership for Development'.
"For some daspora persons, it represents a nice holiday; for some, it represents a nice social event to have a drink and visit family," Tufton said.
He added: "While all of that is important, the fundamental role and feature of the diaspora approach that we should be pursuing now is to find out how we can use the diaspora to achieve growth and development.
"These conferences have not focused on the right things and the margin of error has been sufficient not to maximise the return, and to bring a very important resource - Jamaicans living abroad - to the table to discuss critical issues," Tufton said.
But Arnaldo Brown, the minister of state in the foreign affairs ministry, who has responsibility for the diaspora, said a change is being made, starting this conference.
"Investment (and trade) was not an emphasis in the others, which is one of the major differences with this conference," Brown said.
He said Jamaica Trade and Invest (JAMPRO) would be providing a menu of investment options to members of the diaspora with a view to having them put their money into Jamaican projects.
"In terms of aligning of priorities and the issues of economic survival, I think this conference understands and underscores that," the minister said.
Brown said expatriates held the view that they were being called upon to give to Jamaica while receiving nothing in return.
"This conference is seeking to change that perception by providing them with a value proposition. We are saying that Jamaica is open for investment and we are saying that there is a great likelihood that you will find a great return on your investment.
Phillip Mascoll, an executive member of the Jamaican Diaspora Canada Foundation, said the absence of structure has prevented Jamaica from tapping resources in the diaspora.
"The first conference ever said 'Harnessing the Potential'. Have we harnessed it? Not in any way at all. We simply have not got organised," Mascoll said.
In the meantime, Tufton has called for a study on the diaspora to fully understand and exploit its potential.
"I am not convinced that as a country we fully understand the make-up and the components of the group classified as the diaspora," Tufton said.
Read the rest here Go - Jamaica
Some of the Images from the conference with Captions.
Jamaican artwork and craft on display at the Jamaica Diaspora Conference by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC).
Jamaican artwork and craft on display at the Jamaica Diaspora Conference by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC).
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