Antigua Breaking News

Category: Business

  • Banks are only serving the rich in pandemic

    Banks are only serving the rich in pandemic

    By Makeda Mikael When monetary stress enters the economy through any kind of upheaval, be it hurricane, pandemic or otherwise indigenous banks go very silent, lending all their money to the government and the reliable rich, and even though bursting at the seams, their penny customers starve. There are no stimulus packages built for the…

  • LIAT workers ‘shouldn’t get preferential treatment’

    LIAT workers ‘shouldn’t get preferential treatment’

    Barbados TODAY: One credit unionist is not of the view that indebted, cash-strapped former LIAT workers are to be given any special treatment by the credit union movement as they continue to struggle to meet their loan obligations. In fact, stopping short of suggesting that it would be discrimination for the former airline workers to…

  • IMF board gives Barbados its blessing to continue borrowing

    IMF board gives Barbados its blessing to continue borrowing

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes it is “appropriate” for Government to continue borrowing given its worse-than-anticipated revenue losses and the need to support spending on public health and social protection. The IMF executive board yesterday concluded the fifth review under the IMF’s Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility for Barbados, clearing the way…

  • Antigua and Barbuda issues first official medical cannabis licence

    Antigua and Barbuda issues first official medical cannabis licence

    History was made on Monday as the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, through the Medicinal Cannabis Authority (the “MCA” or “Authority”), issued the first official licence for the production of Medical Cannabis. The Authority is a statutory body created to regulate and issue licenses for the cultivation, manufacture, processing, extraction, import, export, testing, research, distribution,…

  • Antigua and Barbuda to grant first cannabis licence on Monday

    Antigua and Barbuda to grant first cannabis licence on Monday

    Antigua and Barbuda will officially grant its first cannabis licence on Monday, according to the Office of the Prime Minister. The Medicinal Cannabis Authority (the “MCA” or “Authority”) of Antigua and Barbuda which was established in 2019 pursuant to the Antigua and Barbuda Cannabis Act 2018 and Cannabis Regulations 2019 will hand over the first…

  • Ryan family shares advice about creating a financial legacy

    Ryan family shares advice about creating a financial legacy

    SamuelFields Consulting Group (SFCG), a private consortium of business and finance experts, hosted its third monthly Webinar as part of its Community Outreach Financial Wellness Series. The theme of the discussion held on 3rd June, was “Legacy Building: Creating a Foundation of Wealth and Knowledge for the Next Generation.” The 90-minute panel discussion featured three…

  • Air Canada to recall 2,600 workers as demand for travel bounces back

    Air Canada to recall 2,600 workers as demand for travel bounces back

    Air Canada says it will recall more than 2,600 employees as it prepares for an increase in demand for flights. The airline says the employees being recalled will include various roles, including flight attendants, and will be brought back in stages in June and July. Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick says the airline moved to…

  • Union denies rejecting offer for LIAT workers

    Union denies rejecting offer for LIAT workers

    The Antigua & Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) denied reports that it had rejected an offer made by the government to provide a compassionate payment to the former employees of the cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT. Speaking on radio, ABWU general secretary David Massiah said the union is still awaiting a response from a May 19 letter…

  • Barbados-based LIAT ex-workers receive ‘gift’

    Barbados-based LIAT ex-workers receive ‘gift’

    Terminated Barbadian LIAT workers who were recently promised a one-off gift of $2,000 by the Mia Mottley Administration have received the money. However, spokesman for the former Bajan pilots Neil Cave informed Barbados TODAY that an additional advance of $2,000 per month which was also promised, is still pending. Cave said while they are thankful to the…

  • Not enough on LIAT

    Not enough on LIAT

    The Barbados government’s chief auditor is questioning a lack of full disclosure by the State regarding the true level of its investment in regional airline LIAT. The Auditor General said in his 2020 annual report that the investment in the airline was recorded in the Financial Statements as at 31st March 2019 as $214.342 million.…

  • Former LIAT staff have yet to accept government’s severance offer

    Former LIAT staff have yet to accept government’s severance offer

    Former LIAT staff have yet to accept government’s severance offer

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]