In her inaugural speech to the joint session of the six-round opening session of the two houses, President Sahle-Work Zewde stated that Ethiopia will give due attention to protect the rights of Ethiopian Diaspora across the globe and to exploit the economic and investment potential of the Ethiopian Diaspora for the country’s development.
The president said that since Ethiopia follows citizen-centred diplomacy, Ethiopian’s and Ethiopian descent abroad are increasing their participation and play a vital diplomatic role for their motherland. She added that Ethiopia is also giving due attention to protecting the rights of the Ethiopian Diaspora and will continue to strengthen the efforts of protecting the rights of its citizens wherever they are.
President Sahle-Work called on the Ethiopian Diaspora to increase their participation and contribution in protecting Ethiopia’s national interest and to strengthen their participation in the national development endeavours. She further urged to increase their role in image building of their homeland, increase financial support for the country, developing their investment engagement in Ethiopia and in promoting Ethiopian tourism to the world.
The President underlined that the new government is committed to working hand-in-hand with the Diaspora to facilitate the country’s journey of prosperity, especially the new government is committed to creating opportunities for the participation and engagement of the Ethiopian Diaspora in the economic and investment activities at home.
In an interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Peace and Security Expert, Lulseged Abebe (PhD), an Ethiopian Diaspora who lives in London said that though Ethiopia is experiencing challenges during the past reform years, the situation mobilizes all Ethiopians at home and abroad to work hand in hand with the government to protect the unity and interest of their country.
Especially, following the reform, the Ethiopian Diaspora has directly diverted its focus to support the reform process and the participation and engagement of the Ethiopian Diaspora are helping the process in many dimensions. Though external pressures are mounting following the internal problems, the Ethiopian Diaspora is working day and night to denounce the unnecessary external pressures mainly to aware the international community on Ethiopia’s reality. He added that the diaspora would continue to do so in all dimensions.
According to Lulseged, the external pressure especially from the Westerners is mobilizing Ethiopians from all corners of the world to help their homeland and the external pressure strengthens unity and integration. “The external pressure especially has mobilized the Ethiopian Diaspora more than ever” Lulseged stated. Since some countries are working to impose sanctions against Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Diaspora is working to support their country economically to avert any sanction. Ethiopians abroad can fill the financial gap if economic sanctions are imposed against Ethiopia, he stated.
“Currently preparations are underway to replace the economic and financial pressures of the external world against our homeland and the Diaspora has full capacity to do that” Dr Lulseged reiterated. In addition to that, the Diaspora is playing a crucial role in supporting the country’s development projects at home especially the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the “Dine for Ethiopia” projects of Koisha, Gorgora and Wonchi.
Not only that, he stated, a lot of Ethiopians abroad are pledging financial funds directly some portion from their salary for their country development activities. Ethiopian Diaspora currently is proudly committed to increasing their multidimensional support financially, economic and investment participation and in fighting the external misunderstandings.
In this regard, Lulseged noted that Ethiopians from all corners of the world are eagerly committed to increasing their role of supporting their country with their full capacity. To increase their participation and their engagement, they need nothing from the Ethiopian government but a suitable environment. The government of Ethiopia should create only an easy and modern system, especially in the financial sector.
The Diaspora needs a modern and easily attractive facility to increase their participation in their homeland economically. “The Ethiopian Diaspora needs no privilege than having an easily accessible and suitable system at home,” Lulseged stated adding the new government of Ethiopia should give due attention to establish easily accessible and attractive systems to the Diaspora.
“The Ethiopian Diaspora’s participation and contribution to our homeland are only to fulfil our duty, we don’t want any appreciation or privilege. The only thing that the Diaspora wants from Ethiopia is to get an easy, modern and attractive system especially in the financial sector,” he noted. The Diaspora is doing that to help the country’s journey of development and prosperity not to get any privilege, Lulseged underlined.
To exploit the Diaspora’s capacity, the only thing that the new government of Ethiopia has to fulfil is only creating that system. For example, the government should replace the traditional money transaction from the external world to Ethiopia. There should be an attractive and easy system with the financial transaction system to attract the Diaspora to increase their remittance and to choose formal transactions. “The incentive does not mean a special privilege, it is only fixing the systems by implementing modern technologies,” the Diaspora stated.
In addition, Lulseged noted, the Ethiopian Government should establish a new system that the Ethiopian Diaspora to easily save their foreign currency in Ethiopia’s financial institutions wherever they are. Similarly, not only saving in foreign currency but there should be also an easy system for the Diaspora to easily use the money they deposit in Ethiopia’s banks. “If the government establishes such system, in addition to the remittance, the Diaspora is committed and ready to deposit their money in Ethiopia’s financial institutions,” Lulseged stated. The easily accessible online financial transaction system can attract the Diaspora community to deposit their foreign currency in Ethiopia, he reiterated.
Parallel to that, the government should give assurance for the Diaspora in especially in implementing consistent policy, he stated.
According to Lulseged, to promote formal transactions since the illegal transaction is affecting the country’s economy, the only thing is implementing a suitable and easy system in the financial sector. In this regard, there is a chance to create agreements and work closely with international financial institutions engaging in remittance. “Ethiopia has a huge number of Diaspora but the remittance that Ethiopia is receiving is unsatisfactory” Lulseged stated adding “to exploit the available potential, establishing easy and modern system is the only solution”
Getachew Bekele is Chairperson of the Ethiopian Forum and Executive member of the Ethiopian Community in Norway. He told The Ethiopian Herald that the inauguration of the new government has shown its acceptance as well as the conviction of many countries on the significance of working in collaboration with Ethiopia.
He recalled that the administration of Prime Minister Abiy enjoy due acceptance from the beginning which also gained momentum with the premiers winning of the Nobel Peace Laureate.
However, the government lost its acceptance at least for the time being since the launching of the law enforcement operation in Tigray because of the orchestrated propaganda works of TPLF supporters.
Yet the country’s positive image is reviving during the last two or three months as the foreign scholars and media understand the truth. Getachew remarked that the president called for increased participation of the diaspora in investment is a big opportunity as many of the diaspora community are highly interested in the financial sector.
To alleviate the possible ups and downs in the diaspora involvement in the financial sector in Ethiopia Getachew indicated the need for Ethiopian government officials and experts to training the diaspora community on requirements and regulations.
He further noted that Ethiopia has to further uphold the digital economy which enables the diaspora to carry out processes like issuance of the license , opening bank accounts etc still being abroad.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD OCTOBER 5/2021
