Diaspora decries lack of data on remittances
What you need to know:
The Zanzibar-Canadian Diaspora Association Chairman, Mr Omar Ali, attributed the problem to the lack of communication between the government and financial institutions through which they sent money.
Zanzibar. Tanzanians living abroad are questioning whether their contribution towards the economy is valued at home as the government seems to lack accurate data on their remittances.
They said the government was yet to clearly state how much Tanzanians in the diaspora inject into the economy annually.
Speaking to The Citizen in separate interviews Wednesday they said the government and other stakeholders need to appreciate their “significant” contribution to the country’s economy.
“The government can’t tell the actual amount we have so far injected into the economy...this is very unfortunate,” said the Zanzibar-Canadian Diaspora Association Chairman, Mr Omar Ali.
He attributed the problem to lack of communication between the government and financial institutions through which they sent money.
“We have been sending money to support development projects in the country through the People’s Bank of Zanzibar over the last four years. The lack of clear statistics indicates that something is wrong with communication between the two parties. We are only valued during diaspora conferences,” he added.
Mr Ndaki Manyama, a contractor based in Bujumbura, blamed the lack of data to informal jobs taken up by Tanzanians living abroad.
He said some members of diaspora in the informal sectors abroad tend to use unconventional means to send money home.
“As a contractor, this does not apply to me given the fact that I am required by law to send my annual returns to Tanzania Revenue Authority,” noted Mr Manyama.
A Tanzanian living in Algeria, Mr Shadrack Lucas, asked the government to dialogue with the Algerian government on how to make it easier for Tanzanians living in the northern African country to send money home.
“We find it difficult to send money to Tanzania because Algeria has very tight regulations on remitting funds,” he said.
Opening the Third Tanzania Diaspora Conference, Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein commended the contribution of diaspora, and urged Tanzanian nationals living and working abroad to invest in the tourism sector.
“I’m optimistic that the government will meet its targets in tourism with the support from Tanzanians in the diaspora,” he said.
