–to support local drive to engage Guyanese abroad on their possible role in Guyana’s development

THE Diaspora Unit, on Thursday, hosted its first diaspora webinar for the year which comprehensively addressed topics such as remigration and investment, and saw the attendance of close to 400 Guyanese living abroad.

The webinar was part of the government’s commitment in engaging the diaspora with the intention to make the re-migrant and investment processes ‘diaspora friendly.’

The Government of Guyana continues to analyse the state of diaspora engagements and the development of strategies to keep the diaspora engaged.

This is realised through the Diaspora Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and overseas missions.

Head of the Diaspora Unit, Rosalinda Rasul highlighted that in planning the work of the Diaspora Unit, one of the key areas that much emphasis will be centered on is providing pertinent information for the Guyanese diaspora and how they can participate in Guyana’s development.

“The webinar is critical because if Guyana is to go forward and achieve the end goals that we’re seeking, then the contributions from the diaspora are very critical,” she said.

The PPP/C administration has held multiple engagements with the diaspora since its assumption of office, and maintains that the diaspora has a vital role to play in the country’s development, even offering to incentivise Guyanese who bring their skills and expertise back home.

In this regard, Remigration Officer, Dianne Jordan, in providing an overview of the re-migrant scheme in Guyana and qualification criteria and process for the grant of re-migrant status, said that the policy was created to assist returning Guyanese with a seamless re-establishment of residence in Guyana by facilitating the importation of household and personal effects and a motor vehicle for those deemed “qualifying re-migrants.”

“It is governed by Section 23 of the Customs Act Cap 82:01 and is a two-fold process involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and the Guyana Revenue Authority,” she added.

Jordan emphasised the conditions obtained in the remigration policy which include that re-migrants must be Guyanese by birth, descent or naturalisation and must be 18 years or older at the time of the application. Further, ordinary citizens must have resided abroad legally and consecutively for a minimum of five years and students must have resided overseas for a minimum of three years.

She reiterated that re-migrants must have been out of Guyana for 50 per cent or more of the specified time.

Also addressing the diaspora webinar on exemptions available for re-migrants was Roopnarine Singh, Manager Exemptions Processing and Verification Division, Customs Excise and Trade Operations.

He reminded the Guyanese Diaspora that concessions are available to re-migrants in all sectors and are granted according to the Customs Act. Singh specified that re-migrants are mandated, upon assuming residence, to apply for the re-migrant status within six months.

“Important to note is that once approval is granted for that status, it is mandatory that all items and motor vehicle are imported within such time,” he outlined.

The government’s diaspora engagement efforts continue to be immensely strengthened and supported by the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest), by promoting entrepreneurship and investment to include the diaspora members in all sectors.

This was reinforced by Leanna Diamond, Director of Investment who expounded on the investment climate, favourable and generous investment regime inclusive of fiscal incentives, repatriation of profits for investors, open foreign currency market, relatively low levels of inflation, stable financial system, and equitable treatment of local and foreign investors.

During the moderated a question and answer segment, many attendees expressed their appreciation for the information, which they said was instructive and helpful in their decision-making to remigrate and invest.

High on their list of concerns; however, were the bureaucracies they have to endure in doing business and remigrating.

The engagement provided more feedback from the diaspora on the need for digitalisation of services to make systems and processes easier, less frustrating, coordinated and user-friendly.

The Diaspora Unit is committed to continued engagement with the policymakers at the highest levels here to ensure that the diaspora members are accurately informed to participate in the fast-paced economic transformation in Guyana as well as directly interfacing with members of the diaspora and helping them through various processes.

The aim is to support and expand government’s initiative to better serve the Guyanese Diaspora with efficiency in every sector.

Since its return to office, the PPP/C Government has made engaging the diaspora a priority, particularly at a pivotal time of Guyana’s development.

Apart from diaspora engagement, the government has been engaging Guyanese missions, consulates, consuls-general and honorary consuls across the globe. This has extended to Guyanese organisations in North America and elsewhere, to update them on developmental projects.