Come Smell the Coffee- Joe Issa Urges Diaspora to Prepare for Impending Investment Opportunities

Executive chairman of the hugely successful Cool Group Joe Issa says he sees investment opportunities ahead in which Jamaicans in the Diaspora can take positions, urging them to come home and see for themselves.

He declared that as chairman of the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) he has an interest in greater travel into and out of Jamaica “but it’s not just that,” he said

“I believe that overseas nationals should take more interest in the development of their homeland by investing in employment generating ventures to help grow the economy and reduce the scourge of poverty while carving a piece of the pie for their future.

“I don’t think there is one Jamaican who won’t want to own a piece of home, and this is not confined to owning property but also taking positions in a range of other investment instruments, all of which, including stocks and shares provide good returns.

“And things are looking up, as the investment-friendly reforms the authorities have been implementing in the economy, along with its present growth trend have better prepared Jamaica for the imminent opportunities that will arise from the increased economic activity forecasted for the developed countries with which we trade.

“As a result, our exports could increase as they become more affordable in the upswing foreign economies and as they increase their demand; we may even be able to get better prices for our exports, and pay lower prices for our imports as their supply increase in the booming economies relative to the demand.

“We could even earn more money from our exports due to the stronger foreign currencies earned. However, correspondingly, we will see an increase in the cost of imports due to the stronger foreign currencies that have to be bought to pay for them.  

‘In this growth scenario, there will be opportunities for expansion in both the goods and services industries and to create new jobs. Therefore, businesses will need funds to invest in capacity building, and that’s where Jamaicans here and overseas, as well foreign nationals will find increased opportunities to invest in an expanding economy,” Issa said.

 He noted that “the investments can all be done online and portfolios monitored from the comfort of a living room, but I also urge periodic visits to keep connected and see first hand the full extent of the opportunities that exist.”

The call by Issa, who was speaking about the significance of Heroes Day and the responsibility of Jamaicans to up their contributions to the country, came on the heels of a similar one by the wife of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Juliet Holness, in Canada, where she urged the Diaspora to strengthen partnership with their home country in the quest to achieve true prosperity.

“Tue prosperity is achieved when we are able to organise our nation into a system that is able to garner and organise its resources to properly care for our most vulnerable.

“Caring for vulnerable persons, strengthening family values and preserving cultural norms, remain high on the Government's agenda, and it is important to get young Jamaicans involved in the mission,” she was quoted saying while hailing the diaspora for its contribution to Jamaica’s development.  

Mrs Holness, who is also a Member of Parliament, was at the time addressing the A- Supreme Foundation's Grand Charity Gala 2017 in Toronto recently, under the theme ‘A New Era of Care’