Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr Wayne Henry, is offering the view that strengthening of existing partnerships and forging new ties between Jamaica and its diaspora are vital inputs needed to achieve sustainable growth and development.
Dr Henry made the comment while addressing a recent session of the eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.
“For us to achieve the stated objective in Vision 2030 to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business… partnerships are critical.
“Partnerships among Jamaicans at home and those abroad, in the planning, decision-making and implementation process, can only serve to advance the well-being of the nation.”
The director general told members of the diaspora that they play an important role in fostering economic growth, strengthening social protection and building environmental resilience.
He noted that the national policy on International Migration and Development acknowledges that immigrants are potential agents of development, who are well-positioned to strengthen cooperation between countries of origin and destination, and contribute to national development through various avenues. These, he pointed out, include investments and knowledge sharing.
He indicated that while remittances from Jamaican emigrants have been critical in sustaining families and strengthening the country’s foreign currency reserves, there is “even greater scope” for the diaspora to make a contribution by investing in real estate, and the venture capital and capital markets.
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