Antigua Breaking News

Category: Health

  • Bolt goes viral with ‘social distancing’ Olympic photo

    Bolt goes viral with ‘social distancing’ Olympic photo

    Retired track star Usain Bolt showed he’s still a few steps ahead when he posted an AFP picture of him outstripping his rivals at the Beijing Olympics with the cheeky caption: “social distancing”. Bolt’s post, featuring a picture by AFP photographer Nicolas Asfouri of the 2008 Olympics 100m final, blew up on social media, drawing…

  • African-Americans dying of coronavirus at higher rates, preliminary data shows

    African-Americans dying of coronavirus at higher rates, preliminary data shows

    The new coronavirus is killing African-Americans at a higher rate than the U.S. population at large, according to preliminary numbers from Louisiana, Michigan and Illinois that officials say point to disparities in health and healthcare access. The figures were reported by state and city leaders at briefings on the coronavirus, including Louisiana Governor John Edwards…

  • Antigua and other CDB borrowing members getting access to US$3M for PPE

    Antigua and other CDB borrowing members getting access to US$3M for PPE

    The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is providing funds to purchase personal protective equipment needed by its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bank’s Board of Directors recently approved US$3 million for the procurement of these urgently needed supplies. According to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), personal protective equipment, such as masks,…

  • EU provides €8M grant to CARPHA member states for regional COVID-19 fight

    EU provides €8M grant to CARPHA member states for regional COVID-19 fight

    The European Union is providing a grant of 8 million euro (US$8.6M) to help the Caribbean fight the coronavirus outbreak. The funds will be used to purchase COVID-19 test kits, masks and other personal protective equipment, testing reagents, and other materials required for coronavirus testing. It will also increase the capacity of regional countries to…

  • Doctor with COVID-19 believed to have infected several patients

    Doctor with COVID-19 believed to have infected several patients

    Several people in Antigua and Barbuda were exposed to COVID-19 after visiting a doctor who later tested positive for the deadly respiratory the illness. Without naming the sick doctor, the country’s top physician Dr. Joey John said the infected physician is among the nine patients with COVID-19 in the country. The doctor, who John told…

  • Antigua confirms 2 more COVID-19 cases moving total to 9

    Antigua confirms 2 more COVID-19 cases moving total to 9

    Two more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Antigua, the Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment says. In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said it recently dispatched nine samples of COVID-19 suspected cases to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). Two samples returned positive, while seven samples returned negative. Both patients are…

  • How well can cell phones carry COVID-19? Disinfecting may be wise

    How well can cell phones carry COVID-19? Disinfecting may be wise

    By Melissa Couto Protective measures against COVID-19 have been preached daily since the onset of the pandemic — wash your hands, keep your distance, stop touching your face. Should disinfect your cell phone be added to that list? “Cell phones are like an organ of your body, an extension of your body,” microbiology specialist Jason…

  • Time is of the essence: PAHO says countries must act now to slow the spread of COVID-19

    Time is of the essence: PAHO says countries must act now to slow the spread of COVID-19

    With many countries of the Americas now reporting community transmission of COVID-19, there is still a short window of time for governments to slow the spread of the virus, reduce the impact on health systems and save lives, said the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Carissa F. Etienne, during a media briefing on Tuesday.…

  • 4 more cases of COVID-19 confirmed, pushing total to 7

    4 more cases of COVID-19 confirmed, pushing total to 7

    Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced Thursday that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Antigua and Barbuda is now at seven. The evidence is all but one of the cases were imported, Browne said in an address to the nation. All seven individuals are now in isolation and the necessary contact tracing is being…

  • Air Canada reaches agreement with its pilots association allowing it to furlough up to 600 pilots due to COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak

    Air Canada reaches agreement with its pilots association allowing it to furlough up to 600 pilots due to COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak

    Air Canada has reached an agreement with its pilots association that would allow the airline to furlough up to 600 pilots, according to a letter from the union reviewed by Reuters showed on Tuesday. Air Canada, the country’s largest carrier, is slashing capacity due to the collapse in travel demand from the coronavirus outbreak which…

  • COVID-19: The potential impact for people living with HIV

    COVID-19: The potential impact for people living with HIV

    By Eleanor Frederick, M.Sc. MPH. The emergence of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Antigua and Barbuda has led many people living with HIV to be understandably concerned as to how it will affect them and their communities. These concerns are expected with the outbreak of any new virus however the concerns are rooted not only…

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]