Diasporia News of Thursday, 20 November 2008
Source: --
"Boggers" Remit $US6,000,000,000 Anually?
Dr. Arthur Kennedy, Communication Director of Nana Akufo-Addo's campaign team, said on an Accra-based radio station, that Ghanaians in the diaspora (aka. "Boggars" or "Burgers") have been contributing about $4 billion to $6 billion into the economy as against the $500 million in the NDC era.
The claim sparked a spontaneous outburst of laughter from Tony Aidoo, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who said remittances into the whole of Africa stood at $8 billion.
Who is right?
World Bank
Sub-Saharan Africa received almost $12 billion in remittances in 2007, and that was only the official number. With "informal" flows added the total amount can easily be double that number.Nigeria was the highest recipient, with $3.3 billion.
Other recipients in the top 10 were Sudan with $1.2 billion, Senegal and Uganda with $0.9 billion each, South Africa $0.7 billion, Lesotho $0.4 billion, Mauritius $0.2 billion, Togo $0.2 billion and Mali $0.2 billion.
The world’s top five recipients of migrant remittances in 2007 is India ($27 billion), which also had the world’s largest migration population of 5.7 million; China ($25.7 billion); Mexico ($425 billion); Philippines ($17 billion) and France (12.5 billion).
