Antigua Breaking News

Day: January 31, 2021

  • Antigua notified of first COVID-19 vaccine allocation through COVAX

    Antigua notified of first COVID-19 vaccine allocation through COVAX

    COVAX, a coalition led by WHO and Gavi to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, has notified countries in the Americas of the estimated dose allocation for the first phase of vaccine delivery in a letter to health authorities, the Pan American Health Organization reported today. Thirty-six of the countries and territories participating in COVAX…

  • Saint Lucia records 216 new cases of COVID-19 and 2 more deaths

    Saint Lucia records 216 new cases of COVID-19 and 2 more deaths

    The Ezra Long Laboratory continues to manage the backlog of COVID-19 samples. Today Sunday January 31, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Wellness received confirmation of 216 new cases of COVID-19 from a batch of 541 tests conducted at the Ezra Long Laboratory. This batch consists of samples taken over several days, from the period…

  • Antigua records 14 cases of COVID-19; Hospitalizations up to 17

    Antigua records 14 cases of COVID-19; Hospitalizations up to 17

    The most recent reports received by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment from the Mount St. John’s Medical Centre (MSJMC) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) have revealed fourteen new laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases in Antigua and Barbuda as of Saturday 30th January 2021. Subsequent to the publication of the dashboard for…

  • Guyana rocked by 5.7 earthquake

    Guyana rocked by 5.7 earthquake

    Sections of Guyana were rocked by an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 on Sunday afternoon. According to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), it received reports of an earthquake of  shallow depth of 10 km with  epicentre near Boa Vista on the border with Brazil which occurred  today at 3:05 pm (local time). The United States Geological…

  • Consumers urge not to eat recalled seafood products

    Consumers urge not to eat recalled seafood products

    The Prices and Consumer Affairs Division is alerting the public that one brand of the chilled and frozen seafood products that are currently being recalled have been found on shelves in Antigua and Barbuda. The Food Standards Agency in the UK has announced the recall of Waitrose & Partners Essential Frozen Seafood Selection, (King prawns,…

  • Two more COVID-19 deaths in Barbados

    Two more COVID-19 deaths in Barbados

    For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, Barbados has recorded two deaths from coronavirus (COVID-19) within a 24-hour period. Both deceased were patients of the Harrison Point Isolation Facility for a few days. The two Barbadians, a 55-year-old male and a 64-year-old female, died within an hour of each other this morning.…

  • Woman killed during church service in Jamaica

    Woman killed during church service in Jamaica

    Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang says the police are making progress with their investigations into this morning’s murder of 50 year-old Andrea Lowe Garwood. She was gunned down while at church in Falmouth, Trelawny this morning. Lowe Garwood, an employee of the National Commercial Bank, was shot several times at about 10:30 a.m., in the…

  • Captain Sir Tom Moore admitted to hospital after testing positive for COVID

    Captain Sir Tom Moore admitted to hospital after testing positive for COVID

    Captain Tom Moore has been admitted to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus, his family have revealed. He has suffered with pneumonia over the ‘past few weeks’, his daughter Hannah said in a statement, and last week also tested positive for coronavirus. The 100-year-old was admitted to Bedford Hospital in Bedfordshire today after requiring ‘help…

  • 4 major Canadian airlines halt flights to Caribbean, Mexico to slow spread of COVID-19

    4 major Canadian airlines halt flights to Caribbean, Mexico to slow spread of COVID-19

    Four of Canada’s major airlines have suspended service to Mexico and the Caribbean as of today. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday that Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat had agreed to the measure in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The restriction will last until April 30, and Trudeau says the…

  • More COVID cases in Barbuda; Press conference called for today

    More COVID cases in Barbuda; Press conference called for today

    A Press Conference is scheduled for today with the Barbuda Channel. The Medical Team along with the Chair of Health will elaborate on the partial lockdown phase and protocols attached.

  • Governor Antoine reappointed, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

    Governor Antoine reappointed, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

    The Monetary Council has approved the reappointment of Timothy N. J. Antoine as Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The new five-year term commences on Monday 1st February. In conveying the Monetary Council’s decision, Chairman of the Monetary Council Dr. Timothy Harris remarked: “The Council commends the Governor for his stewardship over the past…

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]. 

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]