Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Fijians who become citizens of another country do not need to give up their Fijian citizenship and has encouraged them to vote in the national elections.
He highlighted this while virtually delivering his remarks at the opening of the Global Diaspora Summit 2022 in Dublin, Ireland.
The Prime Minister also says remittances has averaged the equivalent of 4.7% of our GDP over the last 10 years and is now Fiji’s second largest source of foreign exchange.
Bainimarama says our communities abroad make a huge contribution to Fiji, particularly through remittances and investment.
He says diaspora communities are particularly important in traditional societies where family ties are strong.
Bainimarama says remittances supplement the incomes of family members in normal times but they increase during emergencies such as pandemics, natural disasters and conflicts.
The Prime Minister says they actively engage with Fijians abroad through diplomatic missions and this includes creating opportunities for our diaspora to participate in socio-economic development back home.
He says Fijians living abroad bring experiences, new perspectives and even skill-sets that we need as Fiji grows and modernizes.
