Public-Private Partnerships

On the 6th – 7th October 2014, the Diaspora Relations Bureau in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) organized the 1st edition of the Diaspora Business Forum, under the aegis of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova.
The general objectives where to improve the business-enabling environment at the national level by organizing an event and follow-up platform for effective dialogue between the diaspora business community and Government, as well as facilitating information-sharing with potential investors.

The project was implemented within the framework of the Dialogue on Mediterranean Transit Migration (MTM) by ICMPD and IOM between July 2011 and September 2014. The overall objective of the project was to enhance the institutional capacities of national authorities charged with migration and development to better harness the contributions of their diaspora communities.

The general objective is to support local development projects and productive investments (collective and individual) of the Malian diaspora in Mali with i) a dedicated support mechanism for entrepreneurs in France and country of origin ii) activities with public institutions and private sector institutions to improve the investment climate in countries of origin
Activities:

The program intends to foster linkages between migration issues and private sector development, with a specific focus on financial services. Until now, many activities to foster diaspora investment in CoO have focused on capacity building of relevant state institutions and non financial services for migrant entrepreneurs. A major component of this programme is dedicated support the development of financial services that take into account the needs and specificities of diaspora members (remittances transfer, access to loans, savings products).

This program provides newcomers with training, mentoring and supports required to become self-employed by providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to participate in the local labour market as entrepreneurs.

• Credit Unions in Nova Scotia are offering a small business loan program that aims to help immigrants who are interested in starting, expanding or buying a small business.
• Under this program, an immigrant entrepreneur can borrow a maximum amount of up to $500,000 for loans that are of a traditional debt nature, for working capital or lines of credit.

Despite having the same labour rights as Costa Rican citizens, migrants and refugees encounter barriers to a decent job. The program Vivir la Integración (Living the Integration) is thus developed to encourage companies to establish corporate social responsibility programs that  support the integration of refugees and those applying for refugee status.

Abroad, the priorities revolve around issues of identity, cultural rights, integration and social support. Inside Morocco, three priorities guide the work of this Ministry, aiming at restoring the confidence of members of CMRE in the administration, strengthening of support for their return and their mobilization for participation in development efforts in Morocco.

Banks can play a stronger role in keeping transfer fees low for migrants through the creation of special services with features that aid migrant’s remittance transfers. An example of such services are the joint checking accounts offered by the Moroccan Banque Populaire. Through their own branches and agreements with banks in European countries, migrants in Europe can make deposits into the account which can then be accessed by family members in Morocco. 

In Sweden, a three-year programme to promote entrepreneurship among people with a foreign background was initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications and implemented by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional growth (NUTEK). It includes specific measures to increase banks’ awareness of the needs of migrant business owners in order to facilitate the extension of loans to those clients.