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afrol News, 4 April - The Cape Verdean Diaspora, spread all over the world, is an important factor to the country, in particular to its economy. The government, recognising this importance, is currently organising a conference of émigrés in Praia, the archipelago's capital. Useful input is collected, for example of the difficulties related to invest in the home country. - Investing in Cape Verde is extremely difficult, was one of the opinions heard today at the second day of the III Congress of the Cape Verdean Cadres in the Diaspora. Several of the congress delegates, including emigrants of the second generation, felt it too complicated to invest their savings "at home", even feeling discriminated in relation to complete foreigners. In Cape Verde, the Diaspora is taken seriously. The emigrant population is estimated to be almost as large as population in Cape Verde; Cape Verdeans being concentrated in lusophone Africa, Europe, the US and Brazil. Therefore, six of the 72 elected deputies to the Praia parliament are chosen by the Diaspora. Economic transfers made from these emigrants make up a substantial part of home economy. The Congress, lasting four days in the National Assembly, was opened by President Pedro Pires, and is attended by Prime Minister José Maria Neves and various ministers. 200 of the 600 delegates are resident Cape Verdeans, mostly high officials. The Diaspora is listened to; both its complaints and its competence gathered in foreign countries. Investing in Cape Verde and other economic topics were the items of interest on the Congress' second day. Cape Verdean emigrants are often interested in investing their accumulated capital in the islands, but there were too many barriers to overcome for a person of small means. Easing the complications would make Cape Verde attract even more foreign exchange, delegates held, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs was eagerly listening. Also customs got its share of critics, reported 'Cabonet'. Taxes were "very elevated", complicating trade. The Minister of Foreign Affairs immediately responded to the complaints, saying that "at this very moment," one was studying a restructuring of customs in general, and that this study would produce results by years' end. A major topic for the days to come - the Congress is closed by President Neves on 6 April - is the fate of second generation Cape Verdean emigrants. Both first generation emigrants and the country's government were of course interested in making the new generation feel a strong connection to the old motherland. There will be arranged several workshops on this topic, 'Radio Comercial' reports from Praia, especially on how to engage the new generation in the "social structures" of Cape Verde.
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