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Antigua and Barbuda participates in ‘Caribe Wave’ Tsunami Exercise

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The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) is encouraging participation in the annual Tsunami Exercise “Caribe Wave” on Thursday which tests aspects of tsunami readiness throughout the region.

This activity is conducted by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions associated with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The March 10th tsunami exercise is coordinated with the Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the regional body responsible for disaster management.

The threat of tsunamis to the region is real and there have been significant efforts by disaster personnel to enhance tsunami preparedness in Antigua and Barbuda and the rest of the region. Several areas here in Antigua have been declared tsunami ready through a UNESCO programme. They are St John’s City and the districts of St. John’s City South and St John’s City West.

To signal the start of Thursday’s exercise, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii is expected to send a mock emergency message to the local Meteorological Office at about 10:00 a.m. after which an alert will be sent to the public via the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). Individuals who have not downloaded the CAP CAP app on their smart phones are urged to do so.

Deputy Director of NODS Sherrod James wants schools and workplaces to test sections of their disaster plan especially relating to tsunamis and moving to safe areas. If a plan is not in place, this is an opportunity to begin working on one.

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According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information, over 83 tsunamis have been observed in the past 500 years throughout the Caribbean and its adjacent regions including Antigua and Barbuda.

Although there have not been any deaths on island from these events, approximately 4,500 people have lost their lives to tsunamis in other areas in the Caribbean.

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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]