via Cabinet to adopt Diaspora policy | The Herald December 11, 2015
CABINET is expected to adopt the country’s National Diaspora Policy which will encourage Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to invest back home and make use of the expertise they would have gained over the years in other countries for economic development.
The policy will ensure effective participation of Zimbabweans outside the country in national development.
This is in line with the country’s economic blue-print Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) which encourages investments and remittances from the Diaspora.
The policy which was unveiled in September will ensure that Zimbabweans receive remittances from the Diaspora to support the country’s productive sector.
In 2014, Diaspora remittances amounted to more than $1,8 billion to contribute about 15 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Minister, Dr Obert Mpofu said that Diaspora engagement was important.
Minister Mpofu could not be drawn into revealing the contents of the draft policy saying it will soon be presented to Cabinet for approval.
“I will present the document before Cabinet for approval but basically we want the Diasporans to be involved in investment and economic activities currently underway in the country,” he said.
The Herald Business understands that Government has lined up Diaspora Engagements Conferences in South Africa, Australia and United Kingdom to engage more than 2 million Zimbabweans resident in those countries.
Minister Mpofu said the policy is meant to harness and maximise the potential of the Diaspora to contribute to the country’s economic recovery.
Thousands of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora are running multinational corporates while others have gained a lot of experience, skills and knowledge.
The policy will give incentives to the Diaspora community to invest back home.
Minister Mpofu said, Government has already partnered International Labour Organisation which has enormous experience in encouraging Diasporans to invest back to their countries.
The policy is expected to increase Diaspora remittances because there will be trust between Government and Zimbabweans outside the country.
Dr Mpofu said the interests Diasporans have shown to invest back home was commendable.
“Several Diasporans have already established investments in the country and we hope that through this policy concrete deals will be sealed with Diasporans for the betterment of our country,” he said.
Several countries like Ethopia and Mexico have benefited from their Diasporans for their economic development.
Ethopia established formal mechanisms to encourage and facilitate Diaspora engagement and setting up specific departments which deal with Diasporans.
COMMENTS
No taxation without representation
A leaked policy document includes one very contentious point where diasporans are expected to declare all their earnings and pay tax as long as they hold a zim passport. If you need to renew the passport then you need a tax clearance certificate from ZIMRA.
People are in the diaspora for a reason, ZANU.
No one is going to invest in crooked ZANU plc, no one in their right mind, that is.
Obert is surely smoking some bad mbanji for sure and the Zanu drug of stupidity.
Tell Zanu to get stuffed. The money should go to prosecuting all the Zanu murderers from the Gukuruhundi era and still today. The wheels of justice grind slow – but very fine in the end.
Hahaha! ZANU you will not get one penny from me. We are in the dispora for a reason. We are escaped ZANU and your foolishness. Now you want us to send it to you to fund Mugarbage’s global jaunts? My dollars will not prop up a corrupt ZANU. Not in a million years.
The few christmas hampers through Kukuru.com will not make a difference.
The ruling ministers should lead by example and give back their gigaloot stashed in Swiss bank accounts.
They only want to get themselves richer. They may as well send Gushungo’s sons to come and do care work in the UK so they can send money to their father to fund another Gukurahundi and violence
I look after seven children whose parents died and have never recieved any assistence from the government . This fat bully now wants me to feed him. These moneys never reach the poor. Its high time these thieves start selling their own assets and give money back to people.
I there is real need for war . I thought mugabe would have learnt from gaddafi