Antigua Breaking News

Category: Commentary

  • CARICOM Summit must support PM Browne, go for marshall plan

    CARICOM Summit must support PM Browne, go for marshall plan

    When Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders hold their virtual summit tomorrow, an important outcome would be to add regional heft to Gaston Browne’s call on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to make it easier for regional countries to access their financial resources. But the heads of government must go further. They should…

  • COVID-19: Flattening the curve and relaxing public health measures in the Caribbean

    COVID-19: Flattening the curve and relaxing public health measures in the Caribbean

    Dear Editor, As of 23rd March, 2020, all countries and territories in the Caribbean have reported COVID-19 cases to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). In all instances the first few COVID-19 cases were imported by arriving travelers or nationals returning from Europe and United States of America by air or sea. A cumulative total of…

  • Caribbean at risk as big powers delay action on COVID-19 global economic effects

    Caribbean at risk as big powers delay action on COVID-19 global economic effects

    By Sir Ronald Sanders Despite a lofty statement on March 26, the world’s richest nations, the G20, have responded poorly to the devastating effects that COVID-19 is having on the global economy, particularly small and vulnerable states. The G20 pledged to “work swiftly and decisively with the front-line international organizations, notably the World Health Organization,…

  • A very weary regional student

    A very weary regional student

    Dear Editor, Good day, as a current resident at 138 Student Living Phase 2, I am inclined to write you to shed some light on the sever circumstances we are experiencing by this corporation and by extension the University of the West Indies as only the glitz and glamour is seen in the media. Most…

  • Humanity: Best and Worst

    Humanity: Best and Worst

    By Melissa Martin “A Tale of Two Cities,” by Charles Dickens, a classic that sums up life and death from the beginning to the ending. The human history is a narrative of war and peace, but also health and disease on planet Earth. And the lesson we continue to learn is that health is wealth.…

  • Financial measures necessary to ride-out Coronavirus

    Financial measures necessary to ride-out Coronavirus

    By Sir Ronald Sanders Regardless of the number of Coronavirus cases (COVID-19) that occur in the Caribbean, the economies of each of them, particularly those dependent on tourism, will suffer in the immediate to medium term. Fear, and travel restrictions on persons living in countries with COVID-19, have already disrupted the global economy and supply…

  • Improving the fortunes of LIAT will be a tall order

    Improving the fortunes of LIAT will be a tall order

    With all the pleasantries and the compliments having been showered on Owen Arthur, the former Barbados Prime Minister, on his elevation to the Chairmanship of LIAT, and the kudos given to Dr. Jean Holder, who served in that position, it is now down to basics for work to begin on improving the fortunes of the…

  • Masquerade by Venezuelan Academics to avoid rule of law

    By Sir Ronald Sanders My less than 1,000 words commentary, on the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) between Guyana and Venezuela, provoked a response of 2,069 words from two academics of Universidad Central de Venezuela.  The response merits reply if only because the authors, Kenneth Ramirez and Mirna Yonis, have attempted to…

  • Hypocrisy unmasked at the OAS

    Hypocrisy unmasked at the OAS

    By Sir Ronald Sanders If candidates were to get a prize for making the best case for why they are best suited to be Secretary-General of the OAS, María Fernanda Espinosa would have easily walked away with it when the three contenders for the post appeared before the Permanent Council of the Organization on February…

  • The Trump card in Venezuela crisis

    The Trump card in Venezuela crisis

    By Sir Ronald Sanders When is a failed policy recognised as a failure and is abandoned for a new approach? That was the question that Barack Obama and his administration had to confront after more than 50 years of a policy of trade embargoes, sanctions and, at one point, invasion that failed to dislodge the…

  • Lies in the OAS contest: sifting the wheat from the chaff

    Lies in the OAS contest: sifting the wheat from the chaff

    By Sir Ronald Sanders If ever there was a time in global politics when governments did not indulge in deliberately and maliciously running smear campaigns against candidates they oppose for international positions, it has now passed. Indeed, powerful countries, that should be able to use their vast diplomatic machinery to argue the merits of candidates…

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]