Antigua Breaking News

Category: Commentary

  • CARICOM finds its winning voice

    CARICOM finds its winning voice

    By Sir Ronald Sanders It is a valid criticism of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries that they have more often failed than succeeded in coordinating their foreign policy actions. This tendency has been displayed in the Organization of American States (OAS) over the last three years, causing celebration among those countries that fear the voting…

  • Withdrawal of Canadian banks: opportunity to remedy, not repeat mistakes

    Withdrawal of Canadian banks: opportunity to remedy, not repeat mistakes

    By Sir Ronald Sanders The untidy and muddled way in which Canadian banks are withdrawing from the countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean is a direct result of insufficient attention being paid by governments to the terms of their entry at the time. Commonwealth Caribbean countries are those that were former colonies, or are still territories…

  • Foreign and local investment: fairness for all

    Foreign and local investment: fairness for all

    By Sir Ronald Sanders There has always been tension between encouraging foreign investment and promoting local entrepreneurship. In many countries, local businesses are expected to pay a range of domestic taxes while governments exempt foreign investors from obligation for the same taxes in order to attract their money, knowledge and, in some cases their technological…

  • Op-Ed: Democracy Demands Peaceful Citizen Participation

    By Linda Taglialatela The reports of political violence in Dominica in recent weeks are incongruent with the history of stable parliamentary democracy in the Eastern Caribbean. Free, fair, and transparent elections are hallmarks of any good democracy and an indication of good governance and leadership. Equally so, the conduct of peaceful campaigns, rallies, and demonstrations…

  • Term limits for prime ministers – unlikely and maybe unnecessary

    By Sir Ronald Sanders A debate has now started in parts of the Caribbean about whether there should be term limits for prime ministers. The debate arises from the view that longevity in office leads to abuse and to the suppression of challengers both within political parties specifically, and the political system more generally. Partly…

  • Is the Minimum Revenue Guarantee concept the best approach for LIAT?

    Is the Minimum Revenue Guarantee concept the best approach for LIAT?

    By Lesroy Browne A Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) as perceived by the management of LIAT and espoused by the Shareholder Governments is a concept which is currently employed by some airlines operating from major US and European gateways into some of the Caribbean islands. The MRG is an Air Service Agreement which is entered into…

  • Double standards in the OAS

    Double standards in the OAS

    By Sir Ronald Sanders Double standards have become the new system in the Organization of American States (OAS). This unwholesome development does not portend well for the future of the Organization, which is increasingly becoming a rubber stamp for the will of a few governments. It also creates a huge cloud over the bilateral relations of nations…

  • Universal Children’s Day and the 30th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

    Universal Children’s Day and the 30th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

    By Daniela Tramacere Every year, the Universal Children’s Day is observed on the 20th of November and it marks the day on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. This special anniversary gives…

  • Humor for holiday stress

    Humor for holiday stress

    By Melissa Martin Instead of a frazzled freak-out around the hectic holidays, what about trying laughter. Not hysterical ‘lose your mind’ chortling or ‘milk coming out of your nose’ snickering. But, belly-laughing glee with giggles and guffaws. Funny A hilarious holiday tune—sing along with me. Grandma got run over by a reindeer/ Walking home from…

  • There was a coup d’état in Bolivia!

    There was a coup d’état in Bolivia!

    By Sir Ronald Sanders Called by any other name, there was a coup d’état in Bolivia on November 10.  To be clear, an elected President and the government were forcibly removed from office. The term in office of Evo Morales, as President of Bolivia, does not expire until January 21, 2020. When the Head of the Military,…

  • Montserrat heads to the polls with an outcome too close to call

    Montserrat heads to the polls with an outcome too close to call

    By Mike Jarvis There’s an intensity surrounding Montserrat’s 2019 election that rivals similar events in the island’s recent history. Voters in the British Overseas Territory go to the polls on Monday November 18th That there are a record 35 candidates including 10 independents vying for the nine parliamentary seats in an island with a population…

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]