EDITORIAL: Ghanaians Abroad

President Kufuor has thanked Ghanaians living abroad for their positive contributions to the Ghanaian economy. Addressing Ghanaians at the Broadwater Farm Community Centre in London last Sunday he said he wanted to thank them for their remittances which now was contributing as much as US $1 billion to the home economy.

There is no doubt whatsoever that Ghanaians who find their way out of the country work very hard and achieve varying degrees of success in their chosen fields. Some left home voluntarily, others were forced out by economic or political necessity. No matter what reason sent them away, they all have one thing in common: love of the home country. There is no Ghanaian one would meet abroad who does not talk fondly of home and the day they will return.

They form a valuable human resource out there which our economic planners have to start factoring in, in our development planning strategies.

In President Kufuor's Broadwater Farm address, he asked his compatriots to invest back home. This can only materialize if the government itself takes the lead by coming out with clear guidelines and incentives that would attract such investors.

The investments may not be multi-million dollar affairs, but in little businesses whose start-up capital could be as low as US $1000 or even less. For many Ghanaians wishing to start small business, that could be enough capital. But these are things that have to be thought through by the experts. If Ghanaians abroad can remit sums that can add up to a billion dollars, it stands to reason that when properly organized they can remit even more.

Where are the Nduoms and Osafo Maafos? This may be yet be what could give them their real claims to fame, if they can initiate workable programmes to tap into what the Ghanaian in the Diaspora has to offer.