Given the level of prominence afforded what President Irfaan Ali had to say at last Saturday’s virtual diaspora engagement, it is difficult to dispel the view that his administration may be moving in the direction of taking more seriously, the contribution that overseas-based Guyanese can play in the country’s development, going forward.
One can, at this stage, however, hardly be sure as to just how far this encounter will go given the fact that there is nothing new in the political noises ventilating the relevance of Guyanese residing in the diaspora to the future of the country, that the country’s leaders have been making for many years. Truth be told, there has been far from sufficient follow-up action that has followed the numerous official promises to make life easier for overseas-based Guyanese indicating a preparedness to return home and, better still, to invest in local businesses.