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Lack of info
keeping Diaspora away from home: experts
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 ADDIS
ABEBA(July 7,2008) -
Most of the Ethiopia Diaspora would have come home had it not been
for lack of available information concerning investment, tourism and
a lot other facts and figures about the country, experts attending
a meeting on migrants and related issues said on Friday.
Most importantly the participants deliberated up on the pull factors
thought are with potential to attract diaspora to engage in investment
and other development projects in their country.
During the meeting, the experts reached a consensus that while there
exist a "lucrative" economic potential in the Ethiopian
private sector market, that has not been promoted in a way that it
targets the nationals out side the country.
The experts agreed it would be better if ample work was done in that
regard, using TV shows and websites.
Also raised was the need to compile information booklets and guidebooks
for diaspora investors, apart from setting up innovative money transfer
schemes to reduce high costs of money transfer means for those Ethiopian
diaspora who wish to invest in their nation without their physical
presence in the country.
The experts' meeting at the Global Hotel was organized by BCaD, an
Ethiopian consulting management firm, as one of the "Migrants
in the Spotlight" (MITS) campaign.
Whereas MITS is a joint initiative aimed at raising awareness and
stimulating action among migrants in Europe to contribute to sustainable
development of their country of origin, the firm provides multi-faceted
market researches and local information to the campaign and partners
based in the Netherlands namely IntEnt (International Entrepreneurship)
and HIVOS (Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries).
Sofie Ovaa, a representative from HIVOS, told The Daily Monitor that
the MITS campaign's contract period of 2008 to 2010, which will address
migrant organizations in Europe to reach many more migrants, is now
on its preparation phase conducting these expert meetings to gather
input from those involved for its multi-media awareness campaign.
She said the campaign message in the Netherlands serves to adjoin
the Ethiopian diaspora in Holland with the prevalent opportunities
for them to profit from investing in their own country and contribute
in the long run for the overall sustainability of the country's economy.
Managing Director of BCaD, Afework Yohannes, said on his part that
he was optimistic towards what the campaign can glean in terms of
disseminating practical success stories of the Ethiopian business
people profiting by investing in their mother nation.
Co-financed by the European Union and to be executed in Europe, the
awareness campaign was aimed to collect ideals on marketing and investment
opportunities directly from Ethiopian 'ex-diaspora' businessmen engaged
profitably in various private sectors in the economy. Representatives
from the Ministry of Foreign affairs and the IOM also discussed together
and identified practical issues regarding migration to be addressed
in the EU.
In an effort to spot concrete illustrations of the private sector
potentials from the countries of origin themselves, similar expert
meetings were held in four of the countries- Morocco, Suriname, Ghana,
and Turkey-where the initiative is currently working on.
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