Good Idea to Sensitise Judges to Tourist Harassment – Joe Issa

Former President of St Ann Chamber of Commerce Joe Issa has said he is in support of sensitising judges to tourist harassment as it would help them better understand the problem and how to deal with such cases.

“I think it’s a good idea. It will help them to better understand the problem of tourist harassment and what it is doing to them and the many businesses who depend on their spend, from craft vendors, boutiques and restaurants, down to the jelly coconut man on the street.

“Tourist harassment is a big problem and the useful work of the special reserve officers who patrol resort areas need to be backed up by the appropriate sentenses in order to deter the practice and protect the tourism industry,” said Issa.

Issa was commenting on a recent tourist harassment sensitisation workshop that was held for parish court judges at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.

This comes on the heels of a similar approval by Issa involving the training of Supreme Court judges in maritime law, as Jamaica seeks to enhance its capacity to handle claims arrising out of shipping disputes, accidents, pollution and arrests at sea.

Speaking against the backdrop of concerns about increasing harassment in the tourism sector, Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, is said to have made a strong call for stakeholders to be more attentive in dealing with the cultural differences of visitors.

According to The Gleaner, the minister said at the workshop that cultural differences can negatively impact Brand Jamaica if those at the sector are not aware on how to deal with the millions of diverse people who visit the island each year.

“We (Jamaicans) are a touchy-feely people and while that very warm, nice feeling is very welcome for a lot of people, for many others, it is huge turn-off,” Bartlett was quoted as stating.

“Yes, while sometimes what we call harassment is described by some to be warm and friendly, it’s a different world out there with different types of people. We feel that it is a marketing strategy to show how important our goods are, but many visitors regard badgering as being an annoyance,” he reportedly added.

He informed that the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) was gearing up to further help the sector in terms of that cultural realignment as a means of mitigating the problem.

About travel advisories warning visitors against certain sections of the country or about the country itself, Bartlett said that it was not so much his job to fight the advisories but rather to swiftly correct the concerns and problems stated, according to the article.

“People wonder perhaps why I haven’t responded to these advisories, but you can’t fight that. What you have to do is correct and do what you must do, that is my job,” he reportedly explained.

Welcoming the opportunity to educate judicial officers to concerns relating to harassment in the tourist industry, Chief Justice Zaila McCalla said the courts must be made aware of the negative impact that can result. She said it could lead to the country’s inability to attract investment, the article said.

“Our courts are well aware of the importance of our tourist industry, as special provisions are made for dealing with certain cases on Saturdays and Sundays when necessary,” she was quoted as saying.

‘Fighting Crime a Different Way’: Local Mediator Urges Authorities to Press On With It

Locally trained mediator Joe Issa, who is a big supporter of restorative justice, has welcomed UK-Based Criminologist’s support for fighting crime in a different way, maintaining that Jamaica should press on with the non-traditional criminal justice model.

                 

           Craig Pinkney                                                              Joe Issa

Issa, who has reportedly hailed Justice Minister Delroy Chuck’s moves to establish justice centres in every parish to train Justices of the Peace (JPs) in restorative justice, mediation and child diversion, said “it is good to hear from an expert that we are doing the right thing by fighting crime in a non-traditional way and don’t always rely on our traditional model. I think the two has to work side-by-side.

“While it’s important to address the outcomes of crime, it’s even more critical to attend to the root causes,” said Issa, who is a JP and a certified conflict mediator having had the required number of hours of training – an expertise used in restorative justice.

Issa was commending England-born criminologist Craig Pinkney for his support of the island’s restorative justice system being implemented by the authorities as a major plank in crime fighting.

Like Issa and most Jamaicans, Pinkney is reportedly adamant that while Jamaica has its unique problems, the island’s crime problem is not beyond solutions that have worked in some of the hardest communities in the United Kingdom and the United States.

In a Gleaner article Pinkney argued that these territories have realised that the traditional criminal justice model is not always effective.

“The (Jamaican) people are not well, and when you talk about the violence, when you talk about the state of emergency, when you talk about shooting and sniffing embalming fluid … these are just symptoms of a deeper problem.”

Pinkney – a 14-year youth specialist and lecturer in the United Kingdom – who was reportedly in the island as guest speaker at a public lecture on restorative justice put on by the Ministry of Justice, said that his latest visit to the island left him with a mixture of pride and joy.

He reportedly argued that more attention has to be placed on the family and the country’s other social problems that breed crime.

In the meantime, Coordinator of Restorative Justice at the Ministry of Justice, Kahilah Whyte, has reportedly urged more Jamaicans to embrace the principle of restorative justice in a bid to reduce crime on the island, stating that it complements the country’s judicial system.

“It allows individuals an opportunity to be a part of truth telling, to hear the stories of victims and offenders, especially those involved in gang violence, which accounts for many of the social atrocities and the trauma that impact every aspect of Jamaica,” Whyte reportedly added.

In April 2016, Issa – who is also a Eucharistic Minister of the Roman Catholic Church – reportedly praised the appointment of Conflict Mediator Ambassadors (CMA) in every community, stating it could help reduce crime and violence.

He argued then, that “with conflicts among family members and community individuals accounting for a significant number of cases of crime and violence, the availability of persons who can be called upon to mediate disputes could help to avert deadly consequences.”

Restorative Justice, which involves three parties – the victim, the offender and the community where the offence was committed – is said to be a process whereby all the parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence. It is a different way of thinking about crime and conflict.

 

RJ focuses on holding the offender accountable in a more meaningful way. It repairs the harm caused by the offence, helps to reintegrate the offender into the community and helps to achieve a sense of healing for both the victim and the community, according to the justice ministry’s website.

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Massive public education about 10-digit regime

Telecoms providers in process of reaching out to their constituents

BY ALPHEA SAUNDERS
Senior staff reporter
saundersa@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, February 18, 2018

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Digicel’s Regional Communication Manager Elon Parkinson emphasises a point during last Thursday’s Jamaica Observer Press Club at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters in St Andrew. Beside him is the Office of Utilities Regulation’s Public Education Specialist Elizabeth Bennett Marsh (Photos: Joseph Wellington) 

JAMAICA’S major telecommunications providers FLOW and Digicel are 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 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 Office of Utilities Regulation (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 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.

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.

Bennett Marsh 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 outlined.

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 stated.

Director of Corporate Communication and Stakeholder Management at FLOW, Kayon Wallace, noted 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 stated.

Regional communication manager for Digicel Elon Parkinson had 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 said, noting that although social media platforms such as WhatsApp already automatically save numbers with the requisite area codes, persons will now have to actively savenumbers 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 said.

Wallace noted that the mobile network already supports 10 digit dialling to some degree, notwithstanding the current seven-digit platform. “So the real configuration that’s taking place is more on the fixed side of the business,” she remarked.

Director of Regulatory Affairs at FLOW, Charles Douglas stressed that all Jamaicans need to ensure that they are ready for the mandatory October 30 switch-off.

“So the real issue that OUR will have to manage with our support is, come November 1, will the country be ready for a mandatory switch-off? What we will not want is for the economy to stop. We can do it, and we will be in a position to do it, but in that in-between up to then we need to make our best effort so that everybody is on board.

Bennett emphasised that regardless of the permissive dialling period, providers must be ready by May 31, so that customers can start dialling 10 digit numbers as of that date.

The telecommunications providers assured that a raft of public education measures will be rolled out to get all customers on board, including print and electronic advertisements, and town hall meetings. Persons may also seek information from the offices of the OUR.

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Fighting Crime A Different Way – UK-Based Criminologist Urges Jamaicans To Try Non-Traditional Criminal Justice Model

Published:Sunday | February 18, 2018 | 12:00 AMCorey Robinson

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England-born criminologist Craig Pinkney is adamant that while Jamaica has its unique problems, the island’s crime problem is not beyond solutions that have worked in some of the hardest communities in the United Kingdom and the United States.

But Pinkney argued that these territories have realised that the traditional criminal justice model is not always effective.

“The (Jamaican) people are not well, and when you talk about the violence, when you talk about the state of emergency, when you talk about shooting and sniffing embalming fluid … these are just symptoms of a deeper problem,” Pinkney told The Sunday Gleaner.

He was in the island as guest speaker at a public lecture on restorative justice put on by the Ministry of Justice.

Pinkney, a 14-year youth specialist and lecturer in the United Kingdom, said that his latest visit to the island left him with a mixture of pride and joy.

 

A CHANCE TO OFFER HELP

 

He said that he has always wanted to reach out to at-risk youths who feature heavily in Jamaica’s gun crimes, and finally got the chance.

“My thing has always been the youths. I’ve always been about young people because I have buried ’nuff’ youths, and it hurts me when I am at a funeral and see a youth that was in a barbershop last week or who I was chatting to on the corner, and in some stupid circumstance … someone just takes their life,” he said.

Pinkney, who holds a master’s degree in criminology and is pursuing a PhD in that area rose from some of the toughest streets in his community of Birmingham, England, under the stewardship of his parents, who hail from St Elizabeth and Manchester.

“It is an honour that they found a criminologist in little Birmingham to come and support with some of the issues. I am very honoured to be here with my people,” said Pinkney, who has travelled across Europe and the United States studying crime.

“I’m so honoured it makes me want to cry. The killing in Jamaica hurts my heart because it is my people. It’s not any Trinidad or anywhere else, it is my people, (my) yaad,” added Pinkney as he noted that some Jamaicans abroad are frightened by crime reports from the island.

 

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

 

He argued that more attention has to be placed on the family and the country’s other social problems that breed crime.

“I have seen the guns. I have seen people get shot at. I have seen people get stabbed. When I look at the men I lived with three doors from me, they never had any daddy, like I did, in their house.

“When I look at that now, all my friends, some of them doing 35 years in prison for murder, some locked up for drugs, I know that my foundation was a little bit better,” said Pinkney.

“I never came here with a magic pill that will solve Jamaica’s crime problem; it is about what can I propose that may work. I believe I can ask a series of questions, present a series of questions that might make people at government level, statutory level, communities and individuals think about what to do next,” he added.

In the meantime, justice ministry official Kahilah Whyte has urged more Jamaicans to embrace the principle of restorative justice in a bid to reduce crime on the island.

“It complements our judicial system and allows individuals an opportunity to be a part of truth telling, to hear the stories of victims and offenders, especially those involved in gang violence, which accounts for many of the social atrocities and the trauma that impact every aspect of Jamaica,” said Whyte, who is the restorative justice coordinator at the ministry.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com

‘Treat Mentally Illed Workers with Care’: Joe Issa Agrees Workplace Issues Can Impact Employees, Productivity

A call by the authorities – carried by both main newspapers – for employers to support workers with mental illness has received the support of Joe Issa, whose Cool Corporation employs many workers.

“I am not aware that any of our employees are suffering from stress or anxiety or any other mental illness issues, but to the extent that there are workers elsewhere experiencing these issues, I believe it is only humane for their concerns to be addressed.

 “No one willingly chooses to have mental challenges so we must be a caring society and demonstrate it both at play and at work, where we must identify who is being affected as well as what is triggering their illness and address the matter immediately.

“Moreover, I believe that the employer will benefit by addressing such workplace issues as they can affect productivity, which must be a major concern for any business,” said Issa.

Issa was responding to a call by the Ministry of Health urging employers to provide support for workers who may be afflicted with mental-health issues.

The message by Director of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in the Ministry, Dr Maureen Irons-Morgan, was published by both the Jamaica Observer and Gleaner.

The statement came as Jamaica joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Mental Health Day 2017, recently, under the theme ‘Mental Health in the Workplace’.

According to the Observer, the Ministry reportedly told JIS News that one in every five persons in the workplace has mental-health issues and that two of the most common issues dealt with each day are anxiety and depression, adding that these conditions can affect productivity in the workplace.

However, she said the ministry “is concerned that people are being discriminated against by some employers when they disclose they have mental-health problems,” as that “the way to deal with this is to help employers to understand more about mental-health conditions.”

Irons-Morgan is said to have pointed out that “while the ability to do work is a marker of mental health, it is important to note that there are issues in the workplace that can affect a person’s mental health,” explaining that for some people, it might be workload issues that trigger it, and for others, family issues.

 

‘In Support of Fairness and Integrity’: Former LSE Student Likes PIOJ’s Proposal for NMW

Former student of the London School of Economics (LSE) Joe Issa supports a proposal by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), recommending a seven per cent increase in the national minimum wage (NMW).

“I think it is important for workers to be paid a fair minimum wage for a fair day’s work, as a safety net to prevent their exploitation.

“I also believe that in addition to being paid a fair minimum wage, they must be paid a decent wage, one that will meet their basic household needs such as food and shelter and allow them to live in dignity.

“Having determined what that fair and decent minimum wage should be, in order to prevent exploitation and allow for a decent living, it must then be protected from the ravages of inflation, so that their purchasing power and living standard is maintained over time.

“And even as I urge employers to pay more depending on the economic value of a particular labour, I am mindful of the importance of not pressuring those who themselves are workers on a fixed income and without the benefit of yearly increases.

“Therefore, I support the recommendation by the PIOJ, of a seven per cent increase in the current minimum wage,” said Issa, founder of the Cool Group of companies, in an interview.

According to a Jamaica observer article, the PIOJ recently proposed a seven per cent increase in the NMW to the Advisory Commission at its final consultations on a new NMW at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS). This increase would move payment for a 40-hour work-week by approximately $434.

It quoted manager of PIOJ’s Human and Community Development Unit Steven Kerr, telling the Commission that “this would meet the NMW’s target of increasing the purchasing power of exceptionally low-income workers, allow for a reasonable degree of security and enable him/her to live with some amount of dignity”.

“The PIOJ’s position was not far off from that of several other contributors to the consultations, who felt that employers of household workers, for example, should be protected from a much higher increase for their employees considering that their salaries were subject to restraint, and suggested a new NMW of $7,500 per 40-hour week.

“Others, including the Tambourine Army and We Change Jamaica, recommended new calculations, including a guaranteed minimum income, as well as segregated NMW increases for industrial and commercial workers, security guards and household workers.

“The major trade unions present – the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) and the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisory Employees – focused mainly on the wages of private security guards, calling for the reintroduction of a tripartite joint industrial council made up of representatives of the trade unions, the security companies and the MLSS.

“Head of the security guards’ employers, the Jamaica Society for Industrial Security, Commander George Overton, suggested a six per cent across-the-board increase. However, he rejected proposals for increases in insurance coverage.

“But the contribution from the PIOJ, which has always been the most influential on minimum wage commissioners, ranked as the most explosive at the sitting,” the paper reported.

Light at End of Tunnel Not Just another Train: “It’s the Ride to Prosperity, Get On board!” Joe Issa Urges

Observers tracking the positive developments taking place in the Jamaican economy since last year and into this year, concur with businessman Joe Issa that the light which he saw at the end of the tunnel at the dawning of 2017 was in reality not another in-coming train, but a bright future heading Jamaica’s way.

Joseph Issa Jamaica

“I see a bright light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not the proverbial in-coming train, but rather, a new and more inclusive era of prosperity rising from the horizon…I urge everyone to get on board …It’s an era that is more resilient to crime and violence and unemployment,” Issa says in an interview, on his outlook for Jamaica as 2016 faded into 2017.

Issa has traditionally been sought after for his New Year outlook on the Jamaican economy as member of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce Past Presidents Advisory Committee and as a successful businessman whose business model for his Cool Group has been compared with that of his colleague Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.

A popular civic leader, Issa says he sees further improvements in several micro sectors as well as in the macro economy, which continues to stabilize and enable growth.

“The economic gains will make us stronger in the fight against the country’s major ills and will engender a new era of unity around our shared goals,” says Issa, who is also a qualified conflict mediator and Roman Catholic Eucharistic Minister.

“I am confident that the strides being made by the Ministry of Justice and its social partners in fighting crime and violence and making justice more palatable will reap rewards in the long run,” he says, as he recalls the hands of friendship and partnership extended by the Prime Minister to all Jamaicans whether in civil society or in opposition for them to get onboard

“I believe he deserves a chance to prove himself, especially with two pieces of legislation which will go a far way to reducing political tension and social and economic insecurity in the country.”

Issa was referencing the prime minister’s legislative agenda, including setting a fixed date for general elections, which was outlined by the Governor-General in his throne speech at the opening of the 2016/2017 Parliament.

“We all know what uncertainty surrounding the date of a general election can do to a country such as ours, in terms of stifling investment and heightening social tension,” Issa argues.

No stranger to advocacy, Issa has previously spoken out in public against several of Jamaica’s ills including environmental degradation, corruption, crime and violence, unemployment and poverty.

Recent developments proving Issa right about his latest vision for Jamaica include low inflation, a huge net international reserve, and stability in the slide of the Jamaican dollar, growth and renewed confidence and optimism in the economy by both consumers and businesses.

Joe Issa on Protecting Company Assets and Workers: “We Don’t Like the Guns We But Can’t Do Without Security!”

Former President of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce Joe Issa says Security is an imperative for doing business all over the world today and Jamaica is no exception.

In backing Minister of National Security Robert Montague’s call for improved working conditions for some 32,000 security guards in the country Issa, who is executive chairman of Cool Corp, one of Jamaica’s largest conglomerates argues that without security there is no business sector.

“We don’t like the guns, but we can’t survive without the security,” Issa admits.

“Despite some failing to plan, businesses don’t generally plan to fail and whether they are small or big, security for the business and workers is crucial…it is one of the most critical consideration…it can determine where you locate and how you protect your workers and assets, as well as the way you transact business.

“In that way security guards have made themselves indispensible in light of criminal activities, which came to a head in the early 1990s, when businesses and workers were openly being attacked, resulting in relocation and in some cases closure of the business altogether,” says Issa .

Stating that the country “would do well to make the lives of security guards more secure and comfortable,” Issa adds, “Any measures which will reduce their long and tiring hours is a step to greater security for client companies and their employees.”

Minister Montague, who said he would be lobbying for improvements in the working conditions of private security guards, is scheduled to take several proposals to Cabinet, including a mandatory day off per week for them.

Analysts say the mandatory day off when passed by parliament will join an agreement signed last year to provide thousands of security guards access to a self-contributory health insurance scheme.

The policy, which is operated through Guardian Life Limited and was designed in collaboration with the Private Security Regulation Authority, is based on the salaries of the guards. It includes individual and family plans for $997 and $1,473 per month, respectively, as well as one for $2,725 for higher categories of wage earners.

Joe Issa Urges Continued Good Governance for Corporate and National Growth

As 2017 emerges from the twilight of a year he characterized as a landmark in the recovery of the Jamaican economy, member of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce Past President Advisory Committee Joe Issa is urging continued good governance, stating “it pays for your business as well as the country.”

“2016 was a very good year for the economy…all the indicators suggest that while we have much work left to be done, the economy has started to recover.

“You can tell by the big increase in the money supply in December, that confidence had returned, so I am urging companies and institutions to continue exercising good governance in order to sustain the growth we have seen so far last year,” says Issa, executive chairman of Cool Corporation, one of the largest retail conglomerates in Jamaica.

Issa’s views are backed by the major business watchdogs. The Jamaica Manufacture Association has highlighted the downward trend in inflation and exchange rate movements, among others, while the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce acknowledged growth in tourism and Business Process Outsourcing, also among others. Noting that it is cautiously optimistic, the island’s chamber said “we are starting to see growth…increase in the money supply means more confidence in the economy.”

Said to be no stranger to advocating accountability and integrity in governance Issa once suggested that politicians enter into a pack with the constituents whom they are asking to vote for them. The idea, which became known as ‘The Issa Initiative’ was famously supported by both political parties and the island’s Chambers of Commerce.

Despite not having been implemented Issa’s idea was highly praised by the country’s main newspapers for its landmark quality, with the Gleaner calling it “a watershed in Jamaica’s political culture”.

Big on governance, he famously mediated a conflict which had the potential of unsettling the island and its governance structure. The country’s powerful 13 chambers of commerce had threatened to march to parliament if a tax on street lights, which the business community would have had to pay, is not rolled back. Having been chosen to represent the chambers in their dispute with the government, Issa successfully negotiated the rollback of the tax.

Stating that good governance is not only for governments, but importantly, for the business community whose performance is linked to its governance structure, Issa says, “When you exercise good governance, communicating frankly and widely, being accountable and exercising transparency, all else being equal you will succeed, as well as the economy.” And Issa is not alone.

General Manager of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Marlene Street-Forrest has also encouraged local companies to pursue best practices in governance as one means ofachieving not only individual corporate growth but also to produce better economic conditions for Jamaica.

In urging firms to embrace the philosophy that good governance is the bedrock of sustainable development and longevity, she said, “Good governance and profitability are the cornerstones of every great company, and we believe that this drives profitability.”

Professor Neville Ying, chairman of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Best Practices Committee, also alluded to the connection between governance and success. In explaining the reasoning behind the renaming of the Governance award under the Chairman’s, he says, “The fundamental aim of this renaming was to lift the profile of this award to reflect the growing importance of corporate governance in the sustainable development and success of businesses.”

 

 

 

We empathize with our American partners

The island’s two major hotel chains, SuperClubs and Sandals, with nearly 70 per cent of their business being generated from the United States, have been hard hit by the terrorist attacks on two American cities.

The repercussions being felt by the two hotel giants have jolted their operations where they have now being forced to make radical changes to their operations, including the rotation of staff and the bonding of moguls John Issa and ‘Butch’ Stewart.

But according to representatives of both tourism entities, empathizing with their American partners were now foremost on their minds. They spoke of the relationship they have with United States and the importance of this relationship to Jamaica’s tourism.

“Seventy five per cent of our business come directly from the United States,” explained Leo Lambert, Group Public Relations Officer for Sandals. “As our American friends struggle to regroup, this is a very difficult period for all of us in the sector.” He added that Sandals was now making a concerted effort to pamper all their guests to how then that “in this difficult time we too share their pains and concerns.”

Mr. Lambert notes that now was the time for the Caribbean to come together as a region to strategize way to effectively deal with the massive downturn in tourism. “We have to pull through this together,” he said. “We have to convince Americans that we are the destination of choice during this difficult time – that we are a place to come and relax and try to relieve their stress. With our close proximity to the United States, we have a golden opportunity to salvage our season.”

Executive Vice President of SuperClubs, Joey Issa, said that as airline travel in the United State continues to decline, the effects were being felt “like thunderclaps throughout the sector.” Like hi competitors at Sandals, he notes that SuperClubs was feeling a lot of empathy for the people of the United States at this time, adding that his country has had a long lasting relationship with that country.

“This is a very difficult period for all of us locally but even more so for our American counterparts,” he said. “As America brace for war nobody knows what the future will bring. Whatever game plan we had going into the winter tourist season has to now be radically changed as we enter this grave period of uncertainty.”

The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) is also firmly in solidarity with the country’s “American partners” despite the grave period where a number of their hotels are on the brink of closure. According to President, Josef Forstmayer, the JHTA has been working round the clock to find ways to get through the current crisis facing the sector but was optimistic that the winter season could be saved.

Picture caption: “This is a very difficult period for all of us locally but even more so for our American counterparts” –Joey Issa (pictured) Executive Vice-President of SuperClubs

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Cruise shipping row brewing: Amid reports of possible head tax reduction in MoBay

Western Bureau:

Another row is brewing in the tourist industry amid reports of possible reduction in the head tax for cruise ship passengers arriving in Montego Bay.

The reduction is being pushed by Montego Bay cruise shipping players who, for the past three years, have seen a steady decline in the number of cruise vessels arriving in the city.

They have argued that a lowering of the head tax would encourage cruise line officials to have their vessels make more calls in Montego Bay, and more importantly, according to them, not having the resort city dropped as a port of call.

The head tax charged to passengers arriving in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio stands at US$15.

Official Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) figures, however, show that Ocho Rios enjoys the lion’s share of the market.

During the period 1997-1999, of the 2.1 million cruise passengers that visited Jamaica, 76.8 per cent or 1.6 million went to Ocho Rios. Only 461,944 went to Montego Bay. Port Antonio, a much smaller port, has seen only three cruise ships over the pat three years and was not factored into the equation.

The government has acknowledged talks on a lower head tax for Port Antonio but denies that a decision has already been taken on Montego Bay.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Wykeham McNeill, said that the government was not planning on doing anything that would be harmful to any particular port.

“There are ongoing discussions to lower the head tax in Port Antonio and this has triggered speculation about Montego Bay,” he said.

“If the tax were to be lowered in the Second City, it would involve careful consultation with all the players in the industry,” he added.

President of the Montego Bay Cruise Council, Lee Bailey, said that he was aware of the proposal to lower the head tax for passengers arriving at the city’s ports and would consider it a good move.

Ocho Rios was saturated with cruise vessels, he said, while other ports were not enjoying what he called “some of the special concessions that are in place”.

Mr. Bailey said that a lowering in the head tax in Montego Bay would in no way undermine Ocho Rios’ status as the cruise shipping capital of Jamaica and noted that fears being expressed to the contrary, are extremely premature.

“The proposal is not for ships to leave Ocho Rios,” he added. “It is to ensure that the whole industry profits.”

Former president of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce, Joey Issa, who tree years ago was in the heart of a tussle with his Montego Bay counterpart at the time, Lloyd B. Smith, over a proposed head tax reduction for the second city, reiterated his earlier position in stating that any reduction of the cruise tax should be done across the board.

“In terms of equity and fairness, the head tax that is charged to passengers arriving in the island should be consistent at all the ports of entry,” Mr. Issa said. “As I have stated before, we have to be careful about trying to appease one sector at the expense of another. Before anything is done, there should be clarification on the matter.”

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Business heads to hold candidates accountable

Business Leaders who have put Government on notice that they want greater accountability in governance, has taken concrete steps toward securing action from the politicians.

The Gleaner has learned that a meeting of Chamber of Commerce heads and business leader held recently in Ocho Rios, emerged with consensus that candidates in the upcoming election should be made to sign a covenant with their constituents, agreeing to address the more serious problems shortly after they are elected.

The resolution will be sent to all the political parties for their endorsement.

The various Chambers are currently working on the wording of the document, which will be sent to the general secretaries of the political parties.

It calls for all candidates throughout the 60 constituencies to sign off on a document, prepared by their local Chamber of Commerce, pledging to deal with the two most critical issues affecting their constituency, in a period not exceeding 100 days.

The issues, depending on the area, could be anything from crime, bad roads, water, tourism, electricity or telephone service.

“What we are looking for is accountability from our politicians,” said Joey Issa, author of the resolution and executive vice president of the SuperClubs chain of hotels.

“Too often we see candidates getting elected and pretty much disappearing from the scene soon after. We are hoping to change this unfortunate trend by putting them on the spot for a change,” said Mr. Issa.

“We are not trying to intimidate or ambush anybody, what we are saying is that our political representatives must be held accountable by the people in their constituency.”

President of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Anthony Chang agreed. According to him, “This is an excellent idea which my organization has no problem embracing,” he said.

“I am also confident the political parties will view this proposal as something positive.”

Donovon Cover, president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce said his organization was all for accountability and adds that voters would be looking keenly to see whom, if anybody would refrain from signing off on the document.

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