Antigua Breaking News

Category: Business

  • Today’s LIAT flight is entirely ceremonial

    Today’s LIAT flight is entirely ceremonial

    LIAT will return to Caribbean skies today following a seven-month absence. The airline will operate its first flight today from the V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua to Dominica. LIAT 401 will depart Antigua at 4 p.m. and arrive at Douglas Charles Airport at 4:45 p.m. The return flight, LIAT 402 will depart from Dominica…

  • VIDEO: LIAT builds excitement ahead of return to the skies

    VIDEO: LIAT builds excitement ahead of return to the skies

    LIAT is set to resume commercial passenger travel on Nov. 1, with a flight between Antigua and Dominica marking the first since passenger flights were suspended in April. Ahead of the Independence Day resumption of services, the carried today shared this video as part of its countdown. The seven-month freeze on flying was as a…

  • Air Canada delays return to Antigua

    Air Canada delays return to Antigua

    The local tourism industry is suffering a minor setback as Air Canada has announced that there will be a delay in its return to Antigua. The Canadian carrier was due to arrive at V.C Bird International Airport on Sunday for its first flight since the border reopened. The arrival of the airline would have served…

  • PM leads tributes to retiring banker

    PM leads tributes to retiring banker

    Prime Minister Gaston Browne joined the management and staff of CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank in celebrating the dedicated service of Glendina Jacobs, who is retiring on Nov. 4. The Prime Minister lauded Jacobs for her contributions to banking, education and community development and noted that while he received the invitation to attend the function virtually, he…

  • Sunwing Airlines to resume Antigua flights soon – Tourism Minister

    Sunwing Airlines to resume Antigua flights soon – Tourism Minister

    Cabinet Notes: The Minister of Tourism announced that Virgin Atlantic has resumed flights to Antigua; while Sunwing Airlines will begin flights into Antigua shortly. Tourism is beginning its slow climb upwards. The large carriers have shown an interest in LIAT serving as a regional carrier, ferrying passengers from London and New York to destinations down…

  • COVID-19: Remittance Flows to Shrink 14% by 2021

    COVID-19: Remittance Flows to Shrink 14% by 2021

    As the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis continues to spread, the amount of money migrant workers send home is projected to decline 14 percent by 2021 compared to the pre COVID-19 levels in 2019, according to the latest estimates published in the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief. Remittance flows to low and middle-income countries…

  • Barbados facing economic crisis of ‘biblical proportions’, UWI professor says

    Barbados facing economic crisis of ‘biblical proportions’, UWI professor says

    Declaring that Barbados is facing an economic crisis of “biblical proportions”, University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor of Economics Justin Robinson is predicting an economic decline of up to 17 per cent this year, based on current trends. However, the Cave Hill Campus lecturer who studies financial crises, said there was a silver lining…

  • Dollar Barrel initiative for Christmas is now in place

    Dollar Barrel initiative for Christmas is now in place

    Cabinet Notes: The Dollar Barrel initiative for Christmas is now in place and will continue until December 31, 2020. The rules are the same as in all previous years: food, toiletries and clothing for personal use will be exempt from import taxes. A small sum of $10 is to be levied against all barrels entering.

  • Caribbean Airlines to fly 3 times weekly between Guyana’s Ogle airport and Barbados

    Caribbean Airlines to fly 3 times weekly between Guyana’s Ogle airport and Barbados

    Caribbean Airlines announced that it will offer three weekly between Eugene F. Correia International Airport (Ogle) and Barbados commencing on October 31. The non-stop flights will operate each Monday, Friday and Saturday, utilising its ATR-72 fleet. CEO of Caribbean Airlines, Garvin Medera stated: “Fulfilling the needs of our customers motivates all that we do, and…

  • IMF describes COVID-19 pandemic as a ‘crisis like no other’ for Caribbean

    IMF describes COVID-19 pandemic as a ‘crisis like no other’ for Caribbean

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday said the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the Caribbean has been “massive”, particularly for tourism-dependent countries in the region, but that lower commodity prices were also having a “major impact” on Caribbean commodity exporters. In an exclusive interview with the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), IMF…

  • Gov’t close to inking deal for sale of Jolly Beach

    Gov’t close to inking deal for sale of Jolly Beach

    Government does not own the shut-down Jolly beach resort and is not legally liable to settle severance or any other terminal payments due to the hundreds of staff rendered jobless by the hotel’s closure. Prime Minister Gaston Browne stressed these points on Saturday during his weekly radio programme, the Browne and Browne Show. About 500…

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]