Antigua Breaking News

Category: Health

  • Billy Porter reveals he’s HIV-positive: ‘I hope this frees me’

    Billy Porter reveals he’s HIV-positive: ‘I hope this frees me’

    Billy Porter revealed he’s HIV-positive in his new cover story for The Hollywood Reporter. The “Pose” star, 51, said he was diagnosed in June 2007 and kept it a secret for years from mostly everyone, including his mother. “I was trying to have a life and a career, and I wasn’t certain I could if…

  • CARPHA’s position on the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients

    CARPHA’s position on the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients

    The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is urging Ministries of Health and clinicians to only use the medicine, ivermectin, under the conditions of well-regulated clinical trials for COVID-19, or for approved indications. This is a result of the limited evidence available to assure a favorable benefit-risk balance when used in treating patients with COVID-19. This…

  • Air quality in Antigua and Barbuda could drastically diminish from midday

    Air quality in Antigua and Barbuda could drastically diminish from midday

    The air quality in Antigua and Barbuda could drastically diminish from midday today. This is as a result of the potential dust and ash from the La Soufrière volcano in Vincent and the Grenadines. Sulfur Dioxide is also expected between Tuesday midday and Wednesday afternoon. While not initially forecast to affect our islands, a shift…

  • Alcohol consumption is the sole cause of 85,000 deaths annually in the Americas, PAHO/WHO study finds

    Alcohol consumption is the sole cause of 85,000 deaths annually in the Americas, PAHO/WHO study finds

    Alcohol consumption was responsible for an average 85,000 deaths annually during the period 2013 to 2015 in the Americas, where per capita consumption is 25% higher than the global average, according to a study undertaken by the Pan American Health Organization/WHO and published today in the journal Addiction. “This study demonstrates that harmful use of alcohol…

  • Government ready for Phase 2 of Public Vaccination Program

    Government ready for Phase 2 of Public Vaccination Program

    The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is prepared to roll out Phase 2 of the Public Vaccination Program following the arrival of 24,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in Antigua and Barbuda earlier today. These COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines were secured through the COVAX facility. Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph and Foreign Affairs…

  • UN to rich nations: Don’t undermine COVAX vaccine program

    UN to rich nations: Don’t undermine COVAX vaccine program

    The head of the World Health Organization pleaded with rich countries on Monday to check before ordering additional COVID-19 vaccine shots for themselves whether that undermines efforts to get vaccine shots to poorer nations. Wealthy nations have snapped up several billion vaccine doses while some countries in the developing world have little or none. European…

  • Antigua and Barbuda’s Vaccination Statistics

    Antigua and Barbuda’s Vaccination Statistics

    Antigua and Barbuda has taken a giant step in the fight against COVID-19, with the rollout of its AstraZeneca vaccine campaign. During the period of Wednesday, February 17th and Sunday, February 21, 2021, three hundred and eighty-three (383) persons received their first dose of the vaccine. The newly vaccinated included the country’s Chief Medical Officer…

  • MALE INFERTILITY CRISIS: The new ‘existential’ threat

    MALE INFERTILITY CRISIS: The new ‘existential’ threat

    Sperm counts in Western countries have dropped by more than 50 percent since the 1970s. At the same time, men’s problems with conceiving are going up: Erectile dysfunction is increasing and testosterone levels are declining by 1 percent each year. “The current state of reproductive affairs can’t continue much longer without threatening human survival,” warns…

  • Public education committee appointed to combat vaccine hesitancy

    Public education committee appointed to combat vaccine hesitancy

    Cabinet Notes: Vaccine hesitancy has become an issue globally because of the adverse claims which have been made by many publicly, especially on social media. The impact on the psyche of many people has led to the establishment of a Public Education Sub-Committee in Antigua and Barbuda, charged with informing, educating and encouraging the citizenship to…

  • Consumers urge not to eat recalled seafood products

    Consumers urge not to eat recalled seafood products

    The Prices and Consumer Affairs Division is alerting the public that one brand of the chilled and frozen seafood products that are currently being recalled have been found on shelves in Antigua and Barbuda. The Food Standards Agency in the UK has announced the recall of Waitrose & Partners Essential Frozen Seafood Selection, (King prawns,…

  • Haitian Health Ministry monitoring emergence of a ‘very infectious’ skin disease

    Haitian Health Ministry monitoring emergence of a ‘very infectious’ skin disease

    Health officials in Haiti have been monitoring the emergence of a very infectious skin disease that is similar to scabies. According to the Ministry of Health, this skin disease has affected residents of several communities in the west of the country, for several days. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health deployed mobile clinics to…

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]