Civic Leader Joe Issa Welcomes New JDF Chief to Command Post

Member of the Ocho Rios Chamber of Commerce Past President Advisory Committee Joe Issa has welcomed new Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Brigadier Rocky Meade to his command post, as he replaces Major General Antony Anderson, under whom he served for five years of his 32-year service to the military.

“I welcome Brigadier Meade to the helm of the JDF and wish him well in protecting citizens and the country from internal and external threats. I believe he is qualified for the job after serving as deputy for five years.

“I am happy for him and look forward to working with him in all my capacities, including as chairman of the advisory board of PICA (Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency), which partners with the JDF in securing the country’s borders,” says Issa.

An executive agency since June 2007, PICA partners with the JDF to secure Jamaica’s borders, in accepting and processing passport applications and managing the country’s immigration processes, among others. It evolved from the former Immigration, Citizenship and Passport Services Division of the Ministry of National Security.

By his own admission, Brigadier Mead’s journey to the top started when he joined the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force Unit at Wolmer’s on the advice of his mother. This is said to have led him to become an airplane pilot while still at school there in the late 1970s.

The Jamaica Observer reported Mead as saying at the recent Change of Command Parade at Up Park Camp, the Jamaica Defence Force headquarters in Kingston, “The journey of a thousand miles began with that one step…and I saw the JDF as the next logical step to pursue my love for the military.

Meade is said to have accepted his mandate with humility, strength, and deep commitment to the nation, stating he is clear that his primary roles are to assist in securing Jamaicans and defending their interests.

He encouraged Jamaicans to appreciate that the most significant challenges “are multifaceted and impacted by [the] underlying, deep-rooted problem of how we view and respond to our fellow men.

“The security solution is multi-sectoral and, as the prime minister has said on a number of occasions, every Jamaican can play a part. There is no quick fix,” Meade told the Observer.

Stating that it is his goal to help the police bring wrongdoers to face the justice system, Meade warns, “Let us be clear, if my soldiers are attacked to the point where their lives are threatened, they will defend themselves effectively.”

Brigadier Meade who, like Issa, is a JP, recipient of a national award and has a passion for education, holds a BA (Hons) and MA degrees from the University of the West Indies, a Master of Military Arts and Science (MMAS) degree from the US Army War College, Fort Leavenworth and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Amsterdam.

He lectures credit courses at the University of the West Indies and has delivered invited lectures and consultations on security, intelligence, strategic planning and linguistics topics to audiences locally and internationally including Africa, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and several Caribbean countries, the JDF’s website said.

2016 to Provide Momentum for Growth in 2017 – Joe Issa

St. Ann’s Chamber of Commerce Past President Advisory Committee member Joe Issa has tipped the economic growth momentum experienced in 2016 to continue into 2017.

“This year I expect higher growth in the economy than what we experienced last year, when some of the policy measures implemented earlier in the year showed good results towards the end.

“2016 finished on a high note which will reverberate throughout this year to provide the momentum needed for improved performance…it’s what can be called the piggy-back effect…success feeding on success to achieve even greater success,” Issa posits in an interview on the outlook for Jamaica in 2017.

Noting he had seen the latest growth figures Issa says, “I am encouraged by the stats and more so when dis-aggregated as all sectors seemed to have pulled their weight…it all adds up and tells a story of increased output, consumer confidence and employment…the prime minister has been personally pushing the BPO sector so we may well be seeing the impact in the numbers.”

According to tradingeconomics.com Domestic Product (GDP) figures show that the economy of Jamaica had grown 2 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2016, the highest since the second quarter of 2014. The out turn for the September 2016 quarter was also higher than the 1.4 percent recorded in the second quarter.

The 2016 third quarter statistics also show that both goods and services played a part, which analysts say is the best structure within which to grow the economy.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing which has benefited from renewed focus on import substitution and greater linkages with the tourism sector improved from a growth rate of 9.4 percent in the second quarter to 29.1 percent in the third quarter.

Mining and quarrying also responded with growth of 2 percent in the third quarter from -1.9 percent in the second, while manufacturing was up 0.1 percent from 0.6 percent in the second quarter.

Increases were also said to have been recorded for electricity and water supply which grew by 2.5 percent in the third quarter compared with 5 percent in the second quarter.

Hotels and restaurants grew from 1.3 percent in the second quarter to 2.2 percent in the third. Transport recorded growth of 0.5 percent compared with 0.7 percent in second quarter.

Further comparison shows that the GDP out turn in the September 2016 quarter was much higher than the 0.14 percent average recorded from 2003 to 2016. A record high of 2.2 percent was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2003 and a record low of -2.10 percent was posted in the third quarter of 2014.

Dr Wayne Henry, director general of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), agrees with Issa, not only on the strength of the growth experienced in the third quarter of 2016, but also what it means for the country.

Stating that the pace of growth represented the strongest estimate since April-June 2007, Dr Henry said at a PIOJ quarterly press briefing that “overall, the projected out-turn largely reflects the positive impact of higher levels of business and consumer confidence and increased employment levels with supported increased demand.”

“This was also reflected in increased construction activities with the building of new, and refurbishment of existing hotel rooms, the build out of office space to facilitate the expansion of the business process outsourcing industry, and road rehabilitation and expansion works,” the Gleaner quoted Dr Henry as saying.

 

Chairman of Cool Group of Companies Joseph Issa says Jamaica will pass March 2014 IMF test despite challenges, calls for consolidation of gains

Chairman of the Cool Group of Companies, leading businessman Joe Issa, says in an interview that Jamaica will pass the March 2014 fourth quarter IMF test due to start later this month despite the challenges faced by the Government but wants the gains made so far to be consolidated in order to prevent the programme from going off-track.

“As far as I have been able to determine I see no major obstacles that will prevent Jamaica from passing the fourth quarter IMF test and I think it is critical for the authorities to start consolidating the gains made so far to avoid the programme going off-track,” Chairman of Cool Corporation, Joe Issa, says in an interview.

Noting that Jamaica has passed the preceding three quarterly tests, Issa says a passing grade in the fourth will put the country in good stead for favourable consideration by local and international investors and multilateral institutions.

Jamaica’s high debt of some 145 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and low growth over the years led to an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement of US$958 million with the IMF to support its economic reform programme (ERP).

As a condition of the EFF, which is to be disbursed over four years, the IMF and the Government agreed on a set of targets to be met over the period and the policy initiatives to achieve them.

A press release by the Government’s news agency JIS, says “Overall, the ERP aims to, among other things: reduce Jamaica’s debt from 145 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), to 96 per cent by 2020; attain a 7.5 per cent primary budgetary surplus target; and expenditure containment, inclusive of public sector salary restructuring to reduce the ratio to GDP from 10.6 per cent, as at March 31, 2013, to nine per cent by fiscal year 2015/16.”

But with three successful quarterly reviews under his belt, Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, who is spearheading the ERP, has confirmed that the March fourth quarter will be challenging given the programme of work, parliamentary agenda and “the very steep targets.” He says the Government also saw the next phase of the programme as one of consolidating the gains thus far.

“Consequently, with continued support of the multilateral development partners we will be pursuing major reforms – public-sector financial management and overall public-sector modernisation, fiscal rule, omnibus banking (and) reforms to the securities dealers sector for which work is well advanced,” Dr. Phillips says.

However, Issa says he is concerned about one aspect of the fiscal rule legislation passed to limit spending. According to a JIS press release on March 20, 2014, “The Financial Administration and Audit (Amendment) Act provides for an escape clause to be effected with parliamentary approval, allowing for the suspension of fiscal rules for a specified period upon the occurrence of major adverse shocks, such as natural disasters, severe economic contraction, public emergency, or a financial sector crisis.”

Says Issa: “Jamaica has experienced all of these shocks before and if any of these should occur again, heavens forbid, I hope the escape clause will not be used as an excuse to squander the gains we have made after so much sacrifice and progress so far.”

He points out, as contained at JIS, that “Jamaicans have made a lot of sacrifices to get us to where we are now with the IMF programme; they have foregone $17 billion in government interest due to them, in the successful National Debt Exchange and public sector workers have given up billions of dollars in wage increases so as to reduce government spending.”

Noting that there is so much more left to be done given the need to maintain fiscal discipline and stability in the financial system Issa says, “I’m concerned that these efforts may cave-in along the long and winding road ahead causing the programme to go off-track, as has happened before.”

“Moreover, with a general election coming before the end of the programme there may be compromises for political expediency which can derail the relationship with the IMF,” Issa argues.

Craft trader give major political parties ultimatum

Jamaica’s craft traders who have been agitating over the past two months for a greater slice of the island’s lucrative tourism business, are now threatening to boycott the upcoming election, if they cannot get a commitment from the political parties to urgently address the problems affecting the craft industry.

Seeking accountability – Joey Issa Initiative

The initiative by the island’s Chamber of Commerce to have a greater level of accountability from the candidates in the upcoming general election could represent a watershed in our political culture.

Pledge

Picture Caption: Political Candidates: “…Just vote fi mi an’ yu get light, water, telephone, roads, etc..”, Business Leaders: “Care to sign a pledge for just two of those?”

Cheers to Joey Issa

Hooray to Joey Issa, executive vice president of SuperClubs chain of hotels for coming up with his wonderful proposal, “The Issa Initiative”, which more than anything demands that politicians at long last will be accountable to their constituents.

Ocho Rios craft vendors restive

Tourism interests and other business leaders in Ocho Rios have been in discussions with craft traders over several days this week as they attempt to diffuse growing discontent over what the traders call the Government’s several broken promises.