‘Forget the detractors; global warming is upon us’: Joe Issa Shares Alarming Facts

Advocate of environmental protection Joe Issa has expressed concerns following a recent Observer story which painted gloomy images of what Jamaica could face in the future, stating that the alarming facts have heightened belief that mankind is indeed sewing its own seeds of destruction, and people must be made aware of this.

“The article reinforced my own belief that man-made global warming is very real and we must avoid complacency when it comes to its devastating impact on Jamaica and the Caribbean,” said Issa, noting, “Mankind is indeed sewing its own seeds of destruction, and people must be made aware of the dangers.”

He argues that “scientists have been warning us for quite some time, that if we do not limit the amount of CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere we will pay the price later, in terms of lost property along our coastline as a result of rising sea level,” citing properties like hotels, restaurants and entertainment places, as well as airports and seaports.

“When you factor in the increasingly intensive weather systems that we have seen of late, which is believed to be fueled by global warming, and the resultant loss of lives and property and other resources like agriculture, livestock, fish sanctuaries, flora and fauna, this definitely begs for greater resilience and adaptation of Caribbean nations including our own,” said Issa, who was a big supporter of the 2016 Paris Conference on Climate Change (IPCC).

According to the article, a recently released study by scientists in France on global warming and its effect on sea-level rise should be cause for concern here in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

The report on the study quotes the lead author, Matthias Mengel — a scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany — as saying that “the trajectory of emissions in the next few decades will shape our coastlines in the centuries to come”.

The scientists revealed that globally, about 40 billion tonnes of CO2 – the main cause of global warming – are released into the atmosphere every year. The emissions, which they said had held steady for three years, increased by two per cent last year; and based on current trends, the emissions could increase for at least another decade.

The scientific data showed that global temperatures have, on average, already increased by one degree Celsius since the industrial revolution began, bearing in mind that the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, which was signed by 197 countries, requires a capping of global warming at below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and pursues efforts to hold it at 1.5 degrees Celsius, the newspaper reported.

Citing that the agreement also sets a threshold of “net zero emissions” by the end of the century, it noted, however, “It appears that a number of countries are struggling to hit the Paris Agreement targets, which have been described as modest, despite the fact that renewable energy is getting more affordable.”

It noted that “Brazil, for instance, is having difficulty controlling deforestation, which fuels greenhouse gas emissions, while a number of countries are looking to coal plants to meet electricity demands.

“In the United States, which has indicated that it will pull out of the Paris treaty, the Government has cut its support for clean energy and increased its backing for fossil fuels, under its ‘America first’ policy. The upshot is an expected increase in emissions by 1.8 per cent this year.

“All this will no doubt have an effect on low-lying coastal lands, including here in the Caribbean. In fact, a United Nations report released late 2010 painted an alarming picture of devastation across the Caribbean that will be caused by rising sea levels in years to come and the heavy cost to the region,” the article informed.

It cited the report stating that for just the 15 Caribbean Community member states, the damage and the necessary rebuilding as a result of sea-level rise could climb to US$187 billion by the year 2080.

“The report also suggests that a sea-level rise of one metre, which is now regarded as highly likely by the end of the century, would result in at least US$149 million in tourism resorts damaged or lost”; loss or damage of 21 Caricom airports; and the inundation of land surrounding 35 of the region’s 44 ports.

“There is much more astonishing information in the report which, we hope, is being taken seriously by Caribbean governments which should, by now, have started to implement measures — some of which have been recommended by the World Bank — to help the region resist and adapt to the effects of climate change,” the Observer article stated, noting, “The goals of the Paris Agreement are admirable, but it’s not yet a done deal and we become complacent at our peril.”

According to Wikipedia, “If a planet’s atmosphere contains radiatively active gases (i.e., greenhouse gases) they will radiate energy in all directions. Part of this radiation is directed towards the surface, warming it. The intensity of the downward radiation – that is, the strength of the greenhouse effect – will depend on the atmosphere’s temperature and on the amount of greenhouse gases that the atmosphere contains.”

It said: “The vast majority of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (i.e., emissions produced by human activities) come from combustion of fossil fuels, principally coal, oil, and natural gas, with comparatively modest additional contributions coming from deforestation, changes in land use, soil erosion, and agriculture.”

It has been estimated, the publication said, that “if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their present rate, Earth’s surface temperature could exceed historical values as early as 2047, with potentially harmful effects on ecosystems, biodiversity and the livelihoods of people worldwide.”

“Recent estimates also suggest that at current emission rates the Earth could pass a threshold of 2 °C global warming, which the United Nations’ IPCC designated as the upper limit to avoid “dangerous” global warming, by 2036,” Wipipedia added.

Civic Leader Pleased with Planned PR Campaign for New 10-digit Dialing Regime

St Ann Civic Leader Joe Issa, who last year commended the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) for securing Jamaica’s number availability for the next 25 years, describing the move to acquire a new area code – 658 – as responsible and reassuring, says he is pleased with the upcoming public awareness programme, ahead of the May 31, 2018 dead line for the implementation of the new 10-digit dialing system.

“I was looking forward to the campaign to get the country ready for the new system. Jamaicans are very telephone savvy so I don’t expect too many people to have difficulty making the transition.

“I expect the business community to supplement the PR campaign of the telephone providers and the OUR, with its own programme of awareness to employees and customers. It’s good if we can all contribute in making the campaign a national effort,” said Issa, who is executive chairman of Cool Group of over 50 companies.

He was commenting on a Jamaica Observer report in which the country’s major telecommunications providers – FLOW and Digicel – are said to be ramping up activities to launch a massive public awareness campaign at the end of this month, to familiarise Jamaicans with the 10-digit dialling regime which takes effect here on May 31.

Jamaica is believed to be the first North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) country in the region to implement an additional area code.

To allow customers to become familiar with 10-digit dialling, which involves dialling the 876 area code before all local seven-digit numbers, FLOW and Digicel in collaboration with the OUR, will enable a permissive dialing period between May 31 and October 30.

In the meantime, however, customers are being asked to start updating their contact lists with 876 preceding all local numbers in preparation for the new regime, which has been necessitated by the acquisition of a new three-digit area code for the island.

Addressing the Jamaica Observer Press Club last Thursday, Public Education Specialist at the OUR Elizabeth Bennett Marsh explained that “when Jamaica received its 876 area code in 1996, it was thought that this code would have lasted for at least a few decades. But by 2009, there was a heavy demand for numbers, especially with the advent of then new carrier, Digicel, in the telecoms market.

“At the time, she informed, there were 6.2 million numbers issued, out of a projected 7.73 million and it was further projected that another 1.3 million numbers would be needed for the next three years as of 2009.”

She reportedly said that while there has been a tapering off of that drastic demand seen in 2009, expert projections are that Jamaica will soon run out of numbers under the 876 area code. This prompted the OUR, which is empowered under the Telecommunications Act to provide sufficient numbering for the country, to request another area code from NANPA, according to the article.

“Jamaica has now received a 658 area code, but this will not take effect until the 876 code is exhausted. In the meantime, however, preparations must be made for the introduction of 658, as whenever an additional area code is activated within an area mandatory 10-digit dialling is required for all local calls. This is due to the fact that the last seven digits of a number currently being used will no longer identify as a unique address, as those digits will be replicated under the new area code,” it said.

Bennett Marsh reportedly stressed the importance of familiarisation during the permissive dialling period on both networks, and how it will work. “If it is that you dial seven digits you will get a recording whether you dial to a Flow or Digicel number to say this is a reminder that 10 digit dialling is in effect, but we are going to put through your call…however, come November 1, then if you dial seven digits we are going to ask you to hang up and dial 10 digits,” she was quoted outlinging.

She noted that there is no specific timeline for the exhaustion of 876 numbers yet, as this is demand-driven. “But right now from where we sit we are prepared for any demands,” she reportedly said.

Director of Corporate Communication and Stakeholder Management at FLOW, Kayon Wallace, reportedly informed that customers will not be billed for the duration of the recording alerting them to 10-digit dialling. She said that her company is ready for the new paradigm, with the public awareness programme planned to continue through to the end of 2018.

“We have our project team in place; they are on track, all our action items are currently tracking pretty much as expected in order for us to meet the timeline … we do believe that this is an excellent initiative and, under the expert guidance of the OUR, it’s good that we are putting the necessary steps in place to ensure that we are fully prepared at the point when the numbers under the 876 code are exhausted. What we want to ensure is that there is minimal disruption to our customers,” Wallace reportedly stated.

Regional Communication Manager for Digicel Elon Parkinson has equally commended the OUR, for its preemptive move. “We are going to be doing a full-scale public awareness campaign — this month to next year if needs be. We need to hit some critical points concerning simply how people save their numbers. From now on, start saving your numbers with 876,” he was quoted as saying.

He noted that although social media platforms such as WhatsApp already automatically save numbers with the requisite area codes, persons would now have to actively save numbers with all 10 digits.

He pointed out that stakeholders such as advertisers can join the public education campaign by making their own adjustments to 10-digit dialing, in collaboration with their clients. “It’s a good opportunity to get perhaps the advertising association on board, and for them to perhaps send out a circular to their members,” he reportedly said.

Joe Issa Wishes Happy Valentine’s Day, Good Education for All Jamaican Children

Civic-minded philanthropist and businessman Joe Issa, wishes his employees, business colleagues and friends a Happy Valentine’s Day while promoting a good education for all Jamaican children, stating “it is the surest way out of poverty – the scourge of all societies.”

Issa cautioned that “while numeracy and literacy have their uses, such as in functionality – enabling one to follow directions, dispense medicine, cook from recipes and apply agricultural or other chemicals – it is woefully inadequate to take one beyond the ‘bread line’.”

He argues that “sometimes, depending on how enabling the business environment is and the size of the household, more is needed, such as a good education, creativity and imagination, or even retraining, in order to break completely, the cycle of poverty.”

Issa said he chose ‘a good education’ as his thematic Valentine’s Day message not simply because it is the area in which his Cool Group subsidiary, Cool Charities, gives back to disadvantaged children.

As he puts it, “a good education not only opens up opportunities for gainful employment in order to provide for the basic necessities of daily living such as food, clothing and shelter, but it also prepares one to change one’s life entirely by making poverty a distant phenomenon.”

He describes a good education as one that does not merely enable school leavers to get a decent entry level job, but one which allows them to matriculate to higher education such as a college or university, and get a profession.

In 1987, while at the Londoon School of Economics, Issa founded his first charity, “Educate the Children Fund”, to buy books for disadvantaged children in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean; and a year later, he established the “Joe Issa/Holy Cross Scholarship Fund” to send bright, under-privileged students to his alma mater university in the United States.

He has hosted youth camps and disadvantaged children in the St Ann/St Mary area in which his businesses operate, and believes that schools must be progressive in order to churn out university-ready children.

It was with this in mind that he founded “Global Education 2000”, which has twined Jamaican schools with their counterparts in the United States. Several schools have benefited from these exchanges, including Three Hills All Age School in St. Mary, which was twinned with Broward Elementary School in Tampa, Florida.

Issa has described the results of the initiative as “a major development which will see an exciting, rewarding exchange of cultural ideas and thoughts between students and teachers at both institutions.”

He says much of who he is today, is due to his good fortune of having had a good education, and stated, “I wish nothing less for all Jamaican children.”

‘Monetising Education’: Celebrated Valedictorian Urges Greater Sensitisation to Entrepreneurship to Help Graduates

As the country gears for higher economic growth and employment, celebrated valedictorian Joe Issa, who made his first investment in 1995 at the age of 30 with just US$3,000 and now heads a group of over 50 companies, has said that greater sensitisation of students to entrepreneurship could help them better monetise their education.

                      

       Roderick Gordon                                                    Joe Issa

“As it is now, the country needs more entrepreneurs and the younger the better, but I don’t see it coming without sensitising graduates to entrepreneurship, and the earlier they begin to entertain the thought of becoming an employer instead of an employee, the better they will be able to assess the technical and financial viability of their chosen business.

“The importance of being able to do so, is that a bank proposal must be convincing and command an immediate positive response. It cannot be based on sentiments but on solid observable favourable trends.

“Once pitched the project must leave no room for questions and no questions means a probable immediate yes, an outcome that is more likely the earlier students are sensitised to entrepreneurship.

“The importance of getting an immediate yes is because the longer a bank takes to approve a loan the more reasons they will find to not give it,” said Issa, who has served on the board of directors of First Global bank, among other establishments.

Issa’s statements come amid concerns expressed at a recent Gleaner Editors’ Forum that “one of the things that is killing Jamaica is the inability of individuals who study, train and can’t get a job, and the complete disconnect on how to monetise their training”, according to the newspaper.

It cited Attorney-at-law Roderick Gordon, who chairs one of the companies that has the backing of First AngelsJa, making the statement in support of Chairman of First AngelsJa, Joseph M. Matalon, who had earlier said there was no shortage of investors in Jamaica for the right deals, but argued there was an “immaturity in the environmental ecosystem”.

“We don’t get enough qualified deals. We don’t get enough qualified people coming forward who have the attitude, experience, educational background, or the expertise to drive the growth of a new business,” Matalon told the Gleaner Editors’ Forum.

Gordon, who is said to get excited when the group offers support and the investment comes to fruition, reportedly said he likes “seeing the innovation come through, seeing people who are a lot more exposed.

“I have seen entrepreneurs who pitch more than once and the second pitch is vastly improved to the first. So they are learning the discipline. They are learning how to focus. They are learning what sounds good from what can make a profit. That makes me excited.”

Civic Leader Hails New Social Media Efforts to Protect Impressionable Young Minds from Harmful Content

Civic leader Joe Issa, who is an advocate for the protection of children from inappropriate content on social media, says he is impressed by the more concerted effort being made to expedite their removal from the sites.

“There is so much inappropriate content on social media that we don’t know what our kids are exposed to at any one time; so we have to protect them from their young, impressionable minds, especially with IS using the media to recruit young people to commit acts of terrorism and spread hatred.

“I am glad to know that all the major social media networks are on board and are going to start adhering to a code of conduct to guide them in removing more of these harmful messages and in doing so more quickly,” said Issa, who is a past president of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce.

Issa was commenting on an AFP report in which Facebook’s Instagram and the Google+ social network are said to have agreed to join an European Union (EU)-sponsored group of United States (US) internet giants to combat online extremism.

The EU officials reportedly informed that “the existing members – YouTube, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook – have made progress toward meeting the code of conduct they signed up to in May 2016, promising to look at suspicious content within 24 hours and remove illegal material.”

Justice and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Vera Jourova reportedly told reporters that Instagram had decided to join forces in the fight against illegal online hate speech and wouldl now also apply the code of conduct, adding that she had just received a message that Google+ was joining.

The EU is said to have joined forces with US-based internet firms nearly two years ago, amid growing alarm in Europe over the use of social media as a recruiting tool, especially by the Islamic State group.

Jourova reportedly said she would continue to have the industry regulate itself under the code of conduct after hailing progress among the internet firms to remove threatening material.

According to the article, The Commission – which is the executive and regulatory arm of the 28-nation EU – informed that IT firms had removed 70 percent of the illegal speech notified to them in the last few months, compared to 59 percent before May 2017, and 28 percent in the months after the code of conduct was launched.

Jourova also reportedly informed that Facebook had hired 3,500 new staff to fight online hate speech to add to the existing 4,500 employees.

She added that IT firms had also strengthened cooperation with civil society organisations, including training, to better detect and report suspected cases of hate speech.

The leaders of EU states last year are said to have urged internet firms to do their utmost to combat online extremism or face the possibility of legislation if the industry self-regulation fails.

Save the Children: Joe Issa Backs School Bus System to Increase Order, Safety, Attendance and Punctuality

Educate the Children charity founder Joe Issa is in support of an initiative to save the children from the shenanigans on the nation’s streets and public transport, stating that a national school bus system has the potential of creating a new generation of better behaved and more educated children and less stressful parents.

                                  Reid (L), Yamazaki and Davis  Issa

“Those of us who can drive our kids to school and back every day must feel a sense of relief not having to worry about what happens to them on the way, and for good reason as much is said to happen on the nation’s streets and busses, and one can never tell in what state children get to school, at what time, or if they ever get there.

“The idea of a national school bus system may not resolve all the issues facing parents, children and schools, but it sure can bring much relief to all stakeholders.

“I think parents will be happier not having to find the fares to send their kids to school every day and boarding them in an orderly, safe and reliable school bus system.

“The kids can travel in greater comfort and shield from bad influences on the streets and public transport.

“And schools will benefit from welcoming more orderly kids to their classroms while boosting their record of attendance and punctuality,” said Issa, who is a businessman, civic leader and philanthropist.

He added: “A national school bus system has the potential of creating a new generation of better behaved and more educated children and less stressful parents. “It’s a win-win for all, including society.”

Issa was commenting on Minister of Education, Youth and Information Senator Ruel Reid’s mission to create a national school bus system which will provide transportation for students in all parishes.

This was revealed at the signing of an $8 million grant agreement with the Japan Grassroots Human Security Project to purchase a school bus for Oracabessa Primary School in St Mary. The signing took place at the Office of the Prime Minister recently, in the presence of Japan Ambassador to Jamaica, Hiromasa Yamazaki and Principal of the Oracabessa Primary School, Gregory Davis.

“We’re looking at an overarching plan to provide transportation for all students. We need 1,000 buses to cover the need of the schools. I have that particular aspiration of a comprehensive national school bus system for a number of reasons; not only for safety, but to get our students to school on time and in a managed and regulated way.

“While we have this vision for the rural transportation system, we didn’t just sit back. We have committed over $204 million at the start of this academic year towards this particular rural bus system,” JIS quoted the minister as saying.

He is said to have emphasised the need for a national school bus system in rural areas, adding that students would be transported more safely, parents would save from the high cost of transportation, and there would be less burden on the rural transport operators with privately owned vehicles, according to the government news agency.

“The cost for transportation is extremely high in rural areas. We’re talking about small farmers who are essentially just trying to survive. There is a significant number of students in the rural areas who are on the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), and they will need the transportation system,” the Minister argued.

Pointing out that on average about 20 per cent of students are absent from school each day, Reid cited the recent Survey on Living Conditions, noting “it wasn’t strange to us that an overwhelming majority of those who were interviewed said money was the main fault why they couldn’t send their children to school regularly.”

Senator Reid said he believes a new comprehensive national school bus system would support PATH.

“We’re doing a lot in trying to get the children to school [through PATH], trying to give them lunch for five days, trying to provide insurance, IDs and books. That’s wonderful, but if the children are not able to get to school, all of those efforts are for naught,” he said.

The Japan Grassroots Human Security Project is said to have been developed based on an alliance formed by the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica and the National Education Trust on April 20, 2015. This partnership is aimed at meeting education needs at the primary level in schools in need of assistance.

Businessman Gives Thumbs Up to Declaration of State Of Emergency in St James

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared a state of emergency in St James, and businessman Joe Issa has given the thumbs up, joining the many voices who say the measure is warranted with some stating it is long awaited.

“I think the measure is a last resort; it is inconvenient for citizens, who will also lose some of their rights, and it’s bad for business, but at the same time there are citizens and businesses to protect from a tiny minority of rampaging criminals, but with huge negative impact on both, as well as tourism on the west coast and perhaps the entire country. I am sure this would have been first and foremost in the mind of the prime minister in taking the decision.

“I am sure that the state of emergency in St James will cool things down as the criminals become dislocated and go into hiding. It will reduce fears in the parish and develop confidence in a brighter Jamaica,” said Issa.

The Gleaner reported that extraordinary powers have been given to the security forces, some rights have been suspended and can search places without a warrant. 

It said the declaration coincided with an increase in violence including murders and shootings.

The latest incidents are said to have occurred three hours apart near the round-a-bout to the Sangster International Airport on Tuesday leaving one man dead and three others seriously hurt.

St James is said to have ended 2017 with a record 335 murders, that’s 66 more than reported in 2016.

From early this morning soldiers and police have been blanketing parts of St James carrying out searches, the paper reported.

In making the declaration this morning, Holness reportedly said that in as much as some rights have been suspended, the security forces were expected to be humane to all citizens.

Joe Issa Supports Call for Smartphone Impact Research on Kids

Founder of Cool Corporation and a parent of two, Joe Issa, has supported a call for Apple to undertake research on the impact of smartphones on children, stating it is long overdue.

“We have had smartphones around for several years and we still do not know for sure what effect it is having on our kids who use them.

“With so much content in text and vedio we don’t know what our kids are reading and viewing and their appropriateness.

“We don’t even know if it is addictive or pose a health risk with prolonged use as has been said of electronic devices generally.

“And with the multitude of apps that are available on smartphones and their level of sophiscation in terms of functionality, parents will be challenged to control what their kids are exposed to and for how long.

“I think Apple will be well advised to do that research out of concern for our young, impressionable minds, which I also agree makes good business sense,” said Issa, who was referring to news that two large Apple shareholders say it needs to research the impact of smartphones on kids

In an article originally appeared on TechCrunch, two of Apple’s institutional shareholders, hedge fund Jana Partners and California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), are said to have called on the company to study the impact of smartphone use on child development.

It cited an open letter, in which the two investors said that after reviewing research, they believe that Apple needs to give parents more resources and software tools to make sure their kids are using their devices “in an optimal manner.”

Although together, Jana and CalSTRS hold only $2 billion of the Apple’s current $898 billion market capitalisation, however, the letter is said to be noteworthy, because both investors are influential activist shareholders.

Jana Partners managing director Barry Rosenstein pushed Whole Foods to put itself up for sale before the grocery chain’s acquisition by Amazon last year, while CalSTRS, which manages retirement benefits for public \educators in California, is the second-largest public pension fund in the United States.

“In a letter signed by Rosenstein and CalSTRS director of corporate governance Anne Sheehan, the two shareholders said they worked with child development experts to review studies that found links between the use of electronic devices and negative effects on concentration, emotional health, sleep and empathy,” wrote the report.

It said that research done by psychologist and San Diego State University professor Jean Twenge was also included. Twenge is believed to have found that American teens who spend three or more hours a day on electronic devices are more likely to have a risk factor for suicide than their peers who use them for less than an hour a day.

The letter is also said to have rgued that making parents bear ultimate responsibility for their kids’ device and social media use is missing the point because parents still need the support of tech companies.

“It is also no secret that social media sites and applications for which the iPhone and iPad are a primary gateway are usually designed to be as addictive and time-consuming as possible, as many of their original creators have publicly acknowledged,” Rosenstein and Sheehan wrote, adding even though an American Psychological Association study found 94% of parents try to manage their kids’ technology use, “it is both unrealistic and a poor long-term business strategy to ask parents to fight this battle alone.”

“The two believe that current parental control features in software are ineffective because they force parents to take an “all or nothing approach” by only allowing them to prevent access to certain functions or features. Furthermore, they claim many apps designed to help parents monitor their kids’ tech consumption aren’t backed by strong research and don’t have the same impact as they would with Apple’s support.

“Jana and CalSTRS proposed several steps Apple can take, including tasking one of their executives (or hiring a new one) to focus on the issue and deliver annual reports, similar to its Environmental Responsibility Reports, for more transparency; creating a committee of child development experts; supporting researchers by giving them access to Apple’s information resources; and adding new setup menus and other options to software so parents can tailor functionality to specific age groups,” the article said.

“As one of the most innovative companies in the history of technology, Apple can play a defining role in signaling to the industry that paying special attention to the health and development of the next generation is both good business and the right thing to do,” Rosenstein and Sheehan was quoted as saying.

TechCrunch is said to have contacted Apple for comment.

ALEX Platform to Increase Local Sales, Reduce Imports, Tourism Leakage but Reliable Supply Critical – Joe Issa

Joe Issa has encouraged farmers to latch on to the Agri-linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform, in order to increase local sales while reducing imports and leakage from the tourism sector, warning, however, that reliability and quality of supply will be critical.
“From what I have read it seems to be an innovative move that will bring farmers and hoteliers together in order to foster increased take up of local fresh produce by the tourism sector, thereby reducing imports of such products while reducing leakage from tourism.

“However, the reliability and quality of supply will be of paramount importance in achieving the goal,” said Issa, whose first job after leaving university was purchasing manager in his family’s hotel business.

Issa, who operates several platforms in his Cool Group of over 50 companies, was commenting on the launch of the ALEX platform at the Montego Bay Convention Centre recently.

According to JIS News, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, in addressing the launch said the platform, which was set up to facilitate the purchase and exchange of goods between farmers and buyers within the hotel industry, will result in an increase in the use of local produce in tourism enterprises, and support the national thrust to reduce imports.

“With the help of ALEX, we are leveraging technology to bring hoteliers in direct contact with the farmers, and in turn reduce leakages and retain more of the economic benefits of tourism in Jamaica.

“When you think that about one-third of all visitors’ spend is on food, it makes sense to target agriculture to reduce imports and increase the use of locally grown fruits and vegetables,” he explained.

The minister is also said to have implored farmers to seize the opportunities which abound, by providing a reliable supply of high-quality food “every day of the year” to players in the industry, as the “phenomenal growth in the tourism sector” has created a larger market for fresh produce.

He reportedly said the synergy between the agriculture and tourism sectors underscored the Government’s commitment to bring all segments together to ensure responsible tourism that brings benefits to the “wider society” by deepening the linkages among agriculture, manufacturing, gastronomy, health and wellness, sports and others.

Agriculture and tourism, in particular, he argued, offered the best opportunities for inclusive economic growth.

Bartlett said the Ministry of Tourism, through the Linkages Network, would be driving several initiatives to build the capacity of local farmers in their bid to meet the needs of the hospitality and tourism sector.

The initiatives include an Entrepreneurial Training and Coaching Programme, and a berry farming development project geared at preparing farmers to support hoteliers’ needs for fresh, high-quality strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

He indicated that an updated Tourism Demand Study, which would provide the empirical data to allow for the effective planning and identification of goods and services in the tourism sector, was being prepared and would be ready for release in March 2018, said the JIS.

Joe Issa Supports Marshall Plan for Caribbean Territories

Mere days following concern expressed by local businessman Joe Issa about rising unemployment in the Caribbean, within the context of the region’s physical vulnerability and institutional barrier to aid, Sir Richard Branson has echoed the same sentiments.

 

The head of British-based Virgin Group Sir Richard has reportedly advocated for a Marshall Plan for the Caribbean, similar to the aid package the US provided to rebuild Western Europe after World War II.

Caribbean governments are said to have been calling on international organisations, multilateral development banks, and developed countries for years, to formulate a major economic package of aid and debt relief.

But alas, according to a Jamaica Observer article titled, “Why Sir Richard Branson is Right on the Money”, the international community may listen given the recent battering which the Caribbean countries received from hurricanes, noting that Sir Richard’s timing demonstrated his political acumen.

For his part Issa, whose Cool Group strategy has been likened to that of Branson’s Virgin Group, has on more than one occasion argued against using per capital income – as aid doners do – to disqualify Caribbean nations from receiving much needed assistance.

Issa said, “The reality is that Caribbean countries are battered every year by hurricanes and need vast sums to rebuild. Some are known to have been hit more than once during the annual hurricane season.”

More recently, in an article titled “‘Remove the Impediment’: Joe Issa Supports Case for Vulnerable Caribbean States to Access Concessionary Loans”, Issa supported a move for the reconsideration of the income per capital criterion established long ago which disqualifies Caribbean states for concessionary funding to support their annually-battered economies.

Issa argued that “it isn’t fair for Caribbean states to be denied access to soft money because of their supposedly middle to high income status which, in any case, reverses every year after the battering by hurricanes.”

He explained that due to their high per capital incomes, countries like Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica, which were ravaged by Category 3 hurricanes, have advanced or graduated from the low income Least Developed Country (LDC) designation to Upper Middle Income.

Issa was at the time supporting United Nations Secretary General António Guterres’call for special consideration to be made for mid to high income vulnerable states that have been “deprived” of concessional loans, following his visit to hurricane-battered countries, leaving trails of death and destruction estimated at billions of dollar.

“The fact is that even though these countries have graduated as middle-income countries, they have a number of vulnerabilities that need to be taken into account if we want them to be sustainable as middle-income countries,” Gutters reportedly said.

In an effort to promote and sustain economic growth, Caribbean governments are said to have pursued fiscal policies, which have contributed to a build-up of external debt.

Caribbean countries are now believed to be the most indebted countries in the world, with some, like Jamaica, having a Debt/GDP ratio of over 100 per cent, which is way above the maximum 75 per cent recommended, if sustainable economic growth is to be resumed, the article said.

It noted that the situation is now “at a point where a major policy initiative has to be mounted to significantly reduce the debt…This would ease the liquidity constraints, solvency risk, and allow governments to increase public investment in infrastructure, education and health.

“The debt burden has to be reduced by strategy combining (a) restructuring of multilateral debt; (b) reduction of bilateral debt by debt swaps for climate mitigation, environment, education and cancellation; and (c) conversion of commercial debt into multilateral debt.”

It argued that “the Caribbean, without doubt, needs a Marshall Plan to build resilience and lay the basis for sustainable economic growth,” suggesting that the United States, which is the region’s main trading partner, must have a hand in it.

According to Wikipedia, “the Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave over $13 billion (approximately $132 billion in current dollar value as of October 2017) in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II.

“The plan was in operation for four years beginning on April 8, 1948. The goals of the United States were to rebuild war-devastated regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, make Europe prosperous once more, and prevent the spread of communism.

“The Marshall Plan required a lessening of interstate barriers, a dropping of many regulations, and encouraged an increase in productivity, labour union membership, as well as the adoption of modern business procedures.”