Antigua Breaking News

Category: Commentary

  • Belize: Put the national interest first

    Belize: Put the national interest first

    By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States.  He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto.  The views expressed are entirely his own) Narrow party-political…

  • Under Julie Reifer-Jones’ leadership, LIAT is facing its worst financial crisis

    Under Julie Reifer-Jones’ leadership, LIAT is facing its worst financial crisis

    By Bert Wilkinson Separated by large tracts of the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, people in the tiny tourism dependent Eastern Caribbean islands rely heavily on small island-hopping commuter airlines to move around the region. So it is no surprise that a cartel of governments in that part of the region is struggling…

  • Op-Ed: Women’s empowerment is not a women’s issue, it is everyone’s issue

    Op-Ed: Women’s empowerment is not a women’s issue, it is everyone’s issue

    By Patricia Scotland – Commonwealth Secretary-General Enala Ngulu was married to a man of 47 who had two other wives. She was 13-years-old. At a time when she should have been in school, learning about the world, she was forced to grapple with adult responsibilities like marriage and childbearing. At 15, Enala gave birth to…

  • TODAY’s Editorial: Baby abandonment. Where are the fathers?

    TODAY’s Editorial: Baby abandonment. Where are the fathers?

    By Audley Phillip Much has been said and written about a baby that was recently placed in a cardboard box and abandoned on a verandah in the Gray’s Hill area. Talk shows and social media have literally lit up with everyone giving their opinions on what transpired and of course how the matter should be dealt…

  • TODAY’s Editorial – Region not ready to embrace the Caribbean Court of Justice

    TODAY’s Editorial – Region not ready to embrace the Caribbean Court of Justice

    By Audley Phillip I noted with some interest the call by former Attorney General, Mr. Justin Simon, QC, for countries in the Caribbean to jointly hold a referendum on joining the Caribbean Court of Justice. The former AG, I am sure, would be quite aware that the prospects of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)…

  • When entertainment violates human rights

    When entertainment violates human rights

    By Audley Phillip International law defines prostitution as a human rights violation. Prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation are inherently violent and harmful. The only way to protect women from such harm, violence, stigma and discrimination is to end the seemingly “legalized” sex trade in our country. It should be illegal for any business to profit from the…

  • TODAY’s Editorial: All’s not sitting well in CARICOM

    TODAY’s Editorial: All’s not sitting well in CARICOM

    By Audley Phillip CARICOM countries continue to be divided on the Venezuelan crisis for the second time in just under three months. Within the past week, the four countries whose leaders met with United States President Donald Trump in Florida, voted in favour of an OAS resolution critical of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro.  The Bahamas,…

  • Human Trafficking — The Silent Crime of the Caribbean

    Human Trafficking — The Silent Crime of the Caribbean

    By Audley Phillip   While law enforcement is obsessed with seeking out and confiscating drugs on the high seas, there is a crime that, if left unchecked, will become a problem in Antigua and other Caribbean Islands. It is one among many crimes against women that goes unmentioned, unreported and ignored. This is the crime of human trafficking.    According…

  • CANNABIS — Light Up! Smoke Up! What message are we sending to our children?

    CANNABIS — Light Up! Smoke Up! What message are we sending to our children?

    By Audley Phillip I expect to get a lot of licks from publishing this piece. Still, I hold no rancor or ill-will towards any. One of Antigua’s worst pieces of social legislation was passed in Parliament recently. Government amended the laws to decriminalize cannabis, making it legal to possess up to 15 grams for “personal” use, and allowing a household to grow…

  • Water woes. When will it end?

    Water woes. When will it end?

    I salute the government on its plans to improve and expand the housing stock as well as to increase the number of hotel rooms on Antigua and Barbuda. Sadly, the availability of consistent potable water has not kept pace with the developments in the housing and hotel sector. The inefficient water production and management is…

  • A potentially volatile situation in Guyana – CARICOM must act now

    A potentially volatile situation in Guyana – CARICOM must act now

    By Audley Phillip Guyana’s  multiracial coalition government fell after a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly back in December. The surprise collapse came  less than four years after a coalition of Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese politicians, promising a new style of inclusive politics, defeated a party that had held power for more than two decades. A…

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]