“Our diaspora and the support of our diaspora are absolutely critical to our survival as a nation.” Those are the words of Jamaica’s Opposition Leader Mark Golding who, alongside Prime Minister Andrew Holness, hailed the contributions of Jamaicans living abroad during this week’s Jamaica Diaspora Conference.
From June 16-19, Jamaicans and other stakeholders from all over the world gathered in Montego Bay for the 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference.
This year’s staging achieved its largest number of registrants ever, with over 1,100 individuals registered, surpassing the government’s target of 1,000 participants.
While addressing the audience on Day 2 of the conference, Prime Minister Holness extended his gratitude to the members of the Jamaican diaspora for their steadfast support and contributions to the nation’s development.
“Thank you for choosing Jamaica. I don’t take it for granted that you would pay your way, put other things off, make plans [and] come to this Conference … it does mean a lot to your government.
“Your presence here is a clear testament to the decision to broaden the scope of diaspora engagement to nontraditional areas. It also speaks volumes about your unwavering loyalty and commitment to our beloved Jamaica,” he said.
Positive transformation
Holness highlighted that the efforts to transform Jamaica are producing positive results, pointing to successful projects in various sectors including the economy, healthcare, national security, unemployment, and productivity.
The country’s economic growth was a major talking point for the Prime Minister, as he proudly pointed out that despite facing global challenges, Jamaica has experienced 12 consecutive quarters of growth post-COVID-19.
“Jamaica has now experienced 12 consecutive quarters of economic growth since the pandemic. It is worth recalling that prior to the pandemic, we enjoyed 20 consecutive quarters of economic growth and this was the longest unbroken period of economic expansion since our independence,” Holness said.
Highlighting diaspora support
Holness also expressed gratitude to diaspora members for their support of local families and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the tourism industry, a major earner for the country, had shuttered.
“I want to recognize and place on record the appreciation of the government for the tremendous support and contribution of the diaspora. When tourism earnings fell off [and] went down to literally zero, it was the members of the diaspora who shared their income with their Jamaican families,” Prime Minister Holness said.
Similarly, People’s National Party leader Mark Golding highlighted that the contributions of Jamaicans in the diaspora are critical to the country.
“We are a migratory people and we always have been; and as it stands today, the Jamaicans living abroad constitute more or less similar number to those living on the rock itself. Our diaspora and the support of our diaspora are absolutely critical to our survival as a nation. They are the largest provider of foreign exchange to our country.
“They support our balance of payments, they support the value of our currency and, indeed, during the pandemic when the other critical source of foreign exchange, the tourism industry, basically shut down, Jamaica was able to get through it without any balance of payments or exchange rate crisis because of the stepping up of our diasporans in support of our country,” he said.
In addition to consecutive growth, the Prime Minister also highlighted other positives: A historic low unemployment rate of 4.2 percent and the creation of over 156,000 jobs since 2016; a reduction in Jamaica’s debt to GDP ratio, which now stands at 72 percent; and a balance-of-payment surplus for the fiscal year 2022/23, a significant economic indicator that had not been achieved since 1966.
With economic stability now in its bag, the government is turning its attention to addressing the challenges of creating peace in the country and increasing productivity. “We have attained economic stability. How do we get to now peace and how do we increase productivity?” Holness said.
