Empower Diasporans to run businesses in Ghana from overseas

By Kofi Thompson

Ghanaians in the Diaspora, represent a valuable source of know-how and capital, which could be harnessed for the transformation of our nation's economy.

The enterprise Ghana ought to find creative ways of making it easier for Diasporans to set up and operate businesses in Ghana from the nations around the globe that they reside in.

The E-governance initiative, for example, could be used to empower Diasporans wanting to set up and run businesses in Ghana from abroad.

It is also a step in the right direction that a dedicated office has apparently been set up in Ghana's foreign ministry, to address the concerns of Ghanaians in the Diaspora.

One of the things that should be of concern to that office - which one hopes is run by returnee-diasporans for Diasporans - is to make it possible for the Registrar General's Department's regulations governing the activities of companies, to be amended to make it possible for Diasporans to register companies in Ghana, from their bases abroad.

They should also be able to register for Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) TIN numbers from their overseas bases - and deal with the GRA from their bases abroad.

Ghanaians in the Diaspora should also be exempted from the regulation governing the activities of companies, which demands that at least one director of a registered limited liability company, be present in the country at all material times.

The fact of the matter, is that not all Diasporans are able to find suitable local partners for their companies.

It also ought to be possible for Diasporans to open cedi bank accounts in Ghana, from their overseas bases.

It simply does not make sense that they have to be physically present in Ghana to open cedi bank accounts.

Surely, the banking industry is perfectly capable of designing systems in such fashion that Diasporans can go online to open bank accounts in Ghana?

If the government of the day wants to really help Diasporans to make a meaningful contribution to the nation-building effort, it must make it possible for Diasporans to oversee all aspects of the operations of their businesses in Ghana from their overseas bases.

That means above all, that it ought to be possible for Diasporans to be in a position to take all the necessary steps, from wherever in the world they live, to make their businesses compliant with the various regulatory regimes governing the activities of limited liability companies in Ghana, by utilising the internet.