Yemeni expatriates hold conference to discuss development methods in Yemen
The Source: www.yobserver.com -
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The third Expatriates’ Conference concluded its three-day conference in Sana’a by issuing its final recommendations. The conference was attended by 400 participants from 40 different countries who met with the President, vice president and other government officials.
he group discussed a number of issues and recommendations, and also expressed their solidarity with the political leadership, the government and the armed forces in ending the sedition in Sa’adah. The participants praised the unanimity of support for the political leadership as it is facing opposition against the nation, while condemning silence at home or abroad on the issue, as a betrayal to the homeland.After consideration of the investment opportunities and avenues available to the expatriates, the conference offered a number of recommendations for overcoming the obstacles that were presented. To begin with, the group stressed adjusting the balance between scientific research and education, in regards to making progress in development. They emphasized the importance of utilizing immigrating Yemeni intellectuals as well as improving the vocational education for the Yemeni people.Next, the participants reviewed and discussed the problems that face the expatriates abroad and concluded that diplomatic channels should be used to address some of the issues. There was a consensus that the national judicial system should consider protecting the expatriates’ rights and interests, as well as their children’s. expatriates.To facilitate this, the conference put forward a proposal to complete an expatriate study, through the support of the Expatriates’ Ministry, in order to prepare a comprehensive national strategy for expatriate affairs.In addition, they recommended that educational programs be established for children of Yemeni expatriates living in non-Arabic countries, as well as cultural attaché offices in countries with a high density of Yemenis.Concerning Yemeni expatriates involvement in Yemen, the participants proposed creating an expatriate TV channel to be open for commercial investment or funded by the government, provided that the government guaranteed its impartiality and operated it in compliance with the relevant guidelines and laws. They also recommended that more access be granted to expatriates in the national media.
Regarding the Ministry of Justice, the expatriates were adamant that expatriates’ cases needed to be accelerated, resolved cases should not be re-filed, and that courts should not interfere in cases in which they have no jurisdiction.A number of other recommendations were made including: the formation of a Yemeni expatriate community council, the completion of the President’s order to make October 10th “Expatriates Day”, and the establishment of specialized offices for expatriate issues at government universities. In a related issue, the participants also requested that public universities deal with expatriate children the same as they would with local students, particularly in regards to tuition fees.The president’s order to establish an expatriate development bank for the purpose of financing industrial and residential building projects was supported by the conference attendants who, in turn, recommended that a committee be formed to oversee the bank’s establishment.The attendants also demanded that business practices and bureaucracies be simplified, especially for routine procedures, so that projects could progress smoothly and efficiently for the benefit of everyone. They also expressed the need for proper infrastructure, such as electricity, roads and water, in the areas allocated for investment projects.Finally, the participants proposed that the Expatriates’ Conference be held once every four years, and that in the next conference, an evaluation of the progress made on the current recommendations should be first on the agenda.On Wednesday a workshop for Yemeni businessmen was held on the sidelines of a conference for Yemeni expatriates. The workshop was attended by Vice Prime Minister Sadiq Amin Abu Ras, the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Expatriates Minister and a number of Yemeni businessmen who spoke about the difficulties and problems that are hindering investments in Yemen.Abdulhadi al-Ghazali, a businessman from Saudi Arabia, said that there is a tremendous need to seriously commit to reinvesting financial capital into Yemen, but he admitted that there are obstacles that stand in the way of this process. Quoting the well-known proverb that financial capital is usually cowardly, he expressed his hope that the Expatriates Ministry would support this process as the ministry’s role is paramount because it is the gateway for investment into Yemen.Another businessman, Mohammed al-Amiri from the Emirates said that a Yemeni expatriate faces many difficulties when he comes to invest in the country, pointing to the fact that he himself was robbed. Saeed Haidrah, the founder of the Arabic-American Chamber of Commerce and head of the National American Administrative Council stated, “you see now before you only the surface of Yemeni businessmen found in America, Asia and Africa,” referring to them as more than just ordinary people, but as people with companies and institutions in the countries where they live.Hussein al-Wardi, the head of the economic branch in Lahj, urged the expatriates to save themselves from the miseries of dealing with residence visas and other bureaucratic procedures, and asked them to take just a quarter of their efforts abroad and invest it towards the economic prosperity of Yemen, reminding them of the country’s many investment opportunities.Ismail Abdulghani, an investor from Saudi Arabia, said that he was one of the first investors who came to Yemen, but that he couldn’t find any channels for help. He emphasized that the businessmen in Yemen can help in this regard as the country suffers from power shortages and a lack of available land for investment projects. Abdulghani complained that he invested (and lost) a billion riyals in Yemen without even being able to establish a single project.Businesswoman Lola Bint Mohammed al-Wasabi explained that she is part of the first generation born abroad and that her children suffer from this because they didn’t receive Yemeni nationality. She added that they consider Yemen their country, but that it doesn’t recognize them as citizens, wondering what advantage this can possibly have for Yemen.In response to the expatriates’ concerns, Vice Prime Minister Abu Ras stated, “we now have a ‘one-stop-shopping’ department at the Investment Authority which offers solutions to investors’ questions; there is agreement from the highest authority down to the lowest administrator that the Investment Authority is the only responsible agency for resolving investment questions, and we are currently focusing on the legislative matrix which is being considered in the courts and the prosecution offices for the protection of investors and expatriates.”
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