Antigua Breaking News

Day: November 26, 2021

  • BREAKING: Antigua restricts flights from 4 countries in wake of new COVID-19 variant

    BREAKING: Antigua restricts flights from 4 countries in wake of new COVID-19 variant

    Government has announced immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa, Botswana, Belgium and Hong Kong in the wake of the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID-19. The announcement was made a short while ago by Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph. Sir Molwyn said the list of countries could be expanded depending on how developments…

  • As alarming new COVID-19 variant emerges, Canada moves to protect its borders

    As alarming new COVID-19 variant emerges, Canada moves to protect its borders

    CBC NEWS: Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced today that Canada will limit travel from seven countries in southern Africa, a region that has reported cases of a new — and possibly more infectious — coronavirus variant. Starting today, all foreign nationals who have travelled through South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini or Mozambique in the last 14…

  • BREAKING: WHO declares new variant of concern named Omicron

    BREAKING: WHO declares new variant of concern named Omicron

    The World Health Organization says that preliminary evidence suggests that a new Covid variant carries a higher risk of reinfection than other variants. The variant, currently known as B.1.1.529, has been identified in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel. It has designated it a variant of concern and given it the name: Omicron.…

  • Help! My skin is peeling off

    Help! My skin is peeling off

    DEAR EDITOR: I am writing to ask you to publish this because I am trying to find out if anyone else is experiencing this problem. Ever since I took the vaccine my skin has been peeling off. I am wondering if this could be a side effect of the vaccine. My doctor said I should…

  • WHO cautions against travel curbs over new COVID variant

    WHO cautions against travel curbs over new COVID variant

    (AFP)— The WHO on Friday cautioned against imposing travel restrictions due to the B.1.1.529 COVID-19 variant, saying it would take weeks to understand the implications of the newly discovered strain. The World Health Organization said its Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) was holding a meeting Friday to discuss the variant first detected through…

  • Five young people to benefit from Mental Health Services Programme

    Five young people to benefit from Mental Health Services Programme

    In Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean, there is a combination of cultural, economic, social and political reasons which explain why mental health has long been neglected. The socio-economic situation has allowed for poverty, income inequality and unemployment to become deeply rooted in degrading mental health. On average a country from the Caribbean spends…

  • Countries shut borders over new COVID-19 variant in southern Africa

    Countries shut borders over new COVID-19 variant in southern Africa

    BBC: More countries are tightening their travel restrictions after the discovery of a new coronavirus variant in South Africa earlier this week. The UK, Singapore and Japan are among those rushing in stricter quarantine measures and banning flights from South Africa and neighbouring countries. The EU is proposing to ban flights from the region across…

  • Choksi reportedly aware of another attempt to abduct him

    Choksi reportedly aware of another attempt to abduct him

    Beleaguered businessman Mehul Choksi is being targeted for another attempt at removing him from Antigua and Barbuda, a reliable source has revealed. Reportedly, plans for a second abduction are underway, with the objective, this time, of transporting him to Guyana, from where Choksi will be deported to his native India to face criminal charges. Ironically,…

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]