My blogs on Joseph "Joey" Issa Founder Cool Group of Companies

On the heels of a call by Ocho Rios businessman and philanthropist Joe Issa for citizens to heed warnings by the authorities of an approaching weather system, many people got caught by the latest trough unprepared, despite warnings by the Metrological Office. Amid the thunder, lightning and heavy rains which caused widespread flooding and landslides across Jamaica this week, comes news that the met office had sent out some four days earlier, repeated warnings of the presence of a trough over the island that would bring showers and thunderstorms, and for people who live in low-lying areas to take the necessary precaution. But once again, analysts believe the met office warnings went on death ears, and apparently, so did Issa’s, as the latest assessment in the aftermath of this week’s trough points to severe damage to infrastructure, which made it impossible other than by boat and helicopter, to reach some communities marooned by flood waters and in particular, those who were ...

Chairman of the agency responsible for securing Jamaica’s borders Joe Issa has said he anticipated the border issues now being predicted for the UK on account of Brixit. “It was on the cards the moment Britain voted to opt out of Europe. What is now being reported loomed ever since, because, with Brixit, it would not be business as usual. There must be changes in processing inbound and outbound traffic of both people and goods from all over the world at all border points – air and sea. “But while it is not yet known what the future relationship will be between the UK and Europe, it is arrivals and departures at airports that would pose the biggest challenge for immigration and customs officers, especially where they rely heavily on manual processing. “And as is expected with Brixit, a collateral material including immigration and customs forms, passport and citizenship documents, as well as the appropriate staff level must reflect the new status of the UK,” said the chai...

Founder of one of the nation’s largest retail conglomerate Joe Issa, who is a member of “The Ultimate Professional Directory of International Who’s Who”, has said that he supports the teaching of money management across the school system, stating it will make for a more frugal populace. “I am of the view that if we teach money management to kids, it will make them more thrifty later on in life,” says Issa, adding, “It could break the back of the phenomenon of living from pay cheque to pay cheque and make for a less turbulent credit environment, such as what we experienced in the late 1990s when both consumers and financial institutions went belly up.” Issa’s comments come as the present administration moves to introduce an entrepreneurship curriculum in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to foster innovation among school leavers and generate economic growth. But now Issa, who supported the idea of early entrepreneurship training, is pushing the envelope to incl...

Member of the Past Presidents Advisory Committee of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce Joe Issa is in support of the early implementation of strategic tourism initiatives to support the continued growth of the sector. In commenting on the several air services agreements which Cabinet has given approval for Jamaica to sign with governments, Issa said, “The agreements will mean more airlift, visitors and foreign exchange for Jamaica,” noting “it will also diversify the support base and create opportunities for Jamaicans to learn new languages to further improve the human resource pillar and assure our quality.” The countries with which air services agreements are to be signed include South Africa, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Seychelles, Italy and Portugal. The agreements, which will provide for air services between Jamaica and each of the signatory countries, were said to have been negotiated at December’s International, Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Air Services...

Businessman and philanthropist Joe Issa hail the latest policy initiative by the ministry of health on feeding Jamaican infants and a strategic action plan to accompany the programme. Joseph Issa "Jamaica does not have an enviable record or indicator of child nourishment up to five-years-old at least and it generally derives from bad nutrition habits earlier in infant and childhood. “And given the critical importance of nutrition especially early in life, I believe the policy could change the habits of parents, especially mothers once they become more aware. “The bigger picture is the short and long-term benefits that will accrue to citizens and the country through lower health costs and greater worker productivity by adopting good nutrition practices from early in life,” said Issa. Issa was commenting on the move by Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton “to give Jamaicans a new National Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy and the National Infant and Young ...

Excerpts from an interview with climate change and science enthusiast Joe Issa show him taking a uniquely strategic position on doomsday “If the new finding leads those who are most responsible for global warming to rethink their approach to taking responsibility and drastically served its purpose. “Far too many people including world leaders are taking global warming for a joke; so if it takes a mathematical formula to scare the hell out of them, then it is worth. “I am not a scientist so I tend to believe what I read from credible sources until they are proven wrong by more credible sources; it’s all science research…Furthermore, we have witnessed more fury in the recent hurricanes than ever before; the science predicted that too,” said Issa, as he reacts to a global warming, a doomsday prediction that could commence as early as 2100. The mathematical formula, which has been created to predict a sixth mass extinction is said to have been developed by Daniel Rothman...