'Opportunity to engage diaspora'

[MdmeX]

'Opportunity to engage diaspora'

Published: Wednesday | April 18, 2012 Comments 0


Brown






State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Arnaldo Brown, has described the upcoming Olympic Games as a great opportunity to engage the Jamaican Diaspora.
Brown, revealing that the Government was still in need of approximately $400 million to stage its 50th Independence celebrations, noted that the Games would allow the State to provide an opportunity to engage the diaspora.

"The fact that the 50th anniversary and the Olympics will coincide, there will be a lot of patriotic fervour that we can tap into … . The Government of Jamaica is doing all it can to capitalise on the attention that Jamaica will get coming out of the Olympics," said Brown, who, as minister with responsibility for the diaspora, will be making several trips to London ahead of the Games to meet with members of the Jamaican community in the city.

He said he would be seeking to get a sense from the community "what it is that they would like us to do in relation to the issues there, as well as how much we want them to participate in a deeper manner in investing in Jamaica".

He added: "In terms of positioning the country, we are aware that the athletes will be housed in Birmingham and there are plans being coordinated to set up a Jamaica Village leading up to the celebration of Independence and to expose persons in that city and also into the greater London area to Jamaica and we are hoping that the private sector will endorse the programme fully," Brown added.

"We want to capitalise on that going forward using the Olympics in London as an anchor to project Jamaica into the rest of Europe and the world in the hope that we will find a flow of economic activities coming from that."

Ja 50 budget
As it relates to the budget, Lisa Hanna, minister of youth and culture, recently announced a $688-million budget for the Independence celebrations, and with $194 million of that amount expected to come from corporate support, the Government will be looking to secure the remaining funds from within its own agencies and additional private sponsorship.

"It is an important milestone and we have made it very clear as an administration that the 50th celebration is not an event but we are actually trying to use it as a tool to stimulate Jamaicans here and abroad and out of it we are hoping will be some legacy projects and using it as a starting point to the next 50 years," noted the first-time parliamentarian.

andre.lowe@gleanerjm.com

[MdmeX]

So Mr. Brown, you are ready to engage the diaspora primarily because you want $$$.

A gentle reminder sir, money not growing on any tree outside of Jamaica ..and further more, I don't know if the trust factor is there to give you my hard earned dollars.

I will continue to do my thing through my circle for I see the effects of my dollars at work!

[Islandman]

The Olympics and JA 50 is about 100 days away, and dem only have 30% of the money at this late stage?

Sounds like more debt for the country. I hope there is some payoff on the backend by engaging the diaspora.

[Jawge]

The assistant secretary of state to the USA came and say Jakans on the island have unbelievable wealth.(IS millions to billions the man talking) and is the people that sweat hard here fi sponsor certain tings?

Exchange is no robbery: Float shares for the hotels (to the diaspora) that taxpayers' money built (mi more than sure that the diaspora sweat and tears money is part of those tax dollars)

No wonder uncle Sam ah come fi him money.An mi know di millionaires nah go give the green caaaad

[Assasin]

Did you buy any stock in Ciboney or any of these hotels that were owned by tax payers that went bust because of bad management and bad government policies?????

[Jawge]

Was it offered to the diaspora?

[Islandman]

LOL. Unfortunately I know you meant that as a serious question.

[Assasin]

How you mean offerred? They sold it and market it to Jamaica living abroad if that is Diaspora.


If properly managed and profitable, shares are offerred, Jamaicans in the diaspora will invest.

I can understand if for some projects shares are offerred to workers and local stock market but when it comes to managing our own that is where it goes downhill with people's money. Jamaicans in the diaspora are burnt too many times and Olint and Cash plus is the latest example.

Show the diasporia you can make real profits and then......

[Jawge]

I knew but walked in your little ambush. I really don't know that hotel. I want to start off with Breezes. Now I hear Sagicour is buying it. One has to be careful; by knowing who is the major shareholders in Sagicour.

The diaspora can target Sagicour but that will only drive up it's vakue on the Jakan stock exchange (then games can be played) What I want is a comprehensive policy from the govt. Once it's tax payers' money that build these hotels then civil servants, diaspora and the general public offered shares in these hotels. Boss nuh bring Olint an cash plus in these arguments. The reason why these major hotels fail is because these so called business people in Ja cannot operate in a competitive environment. The expertise to run these hotels effectively is in the diaspora. The objective is to kick back the earnings into the Jakan economy hence easing the economic burden on the diaspora (in these lean economic times).

[Assasin]

"The reason why these major hotels fail is because these so called business people in Ja cannot operate in a competitive environment. The expertise to run these hotels effectively is in the diaspora. The objective is to kick back the earnings into the Jakan economy hence easing the economic burden on the diaspora (in these lean economic times)."

How can you achieve this if it run at a lost. Most of the hotels build by government or they are involved operates at a lost. It is not just about bringing in expert is, it is also about us valuing our own and work for it to make profit. Most of the managers who come to run these hotels are people who are educated or worked abroad but it take more than that.

Until we start to realise that only with profit these things are possible nobody going to invest there money because a Jamaica. They want more than that and everybody is looking for return on their money. I notice you not taking about policies. I am currently waiting to see how the tax package going to affect the tourism industry because if not handled right it will mean less profit for that sector.

[Reggaedoc]

Thats right Mdmex. It is probably time the diaspora ask a simple question, "What have the billions remitted by the diaspora over the past 50 years done to improve the lot of the average Jakan, apart from the immediate benefit to family members who received those monies?".

Remittances from families abroad were and continue to be one of the largest contributor to GNP, and perhaps the most reliable contributor.