Antigua Breaking News

Category: Health

  • FDA approves 1st long-acting HIV drug combo, monthly shots

    FDA approves 1st long-acting HIV drug combo, monthly shots

    US regulators have approved the first long-acting drug combo for HIV, monthly shots that can replace the daily pills now used to control infection with the AIDS virus. Thursday’s approval of the two-shot combo called Cabenuva is expected to make it easier for people to stay on track with their HIV medicines and to do…

  • More than 40,000 visitors since country reopened in June

    More than 40,000 visitors since country reopened in June

    Minister of Health, Sir Molwyn Joseph said more than 40,000 passengers arrived in Antigua and Barbuda since the country reopened its borders on June 1, 2020. The country was forced to close its borders earlier in the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He said prior to the reopening, the Ministry of Tourism…

  • 7 active cases of COVID-19 in Antigua; 33 results pending at CARPHA

    7 active cases of COVID-19 in Antigua; 33 results pending at CARPHA

    The most recent report received by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment from the Mount St. John’s Medical Center (MSJMC) has revealed no new laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases in Antigua and Barbuda as of Thursday 26th November 2020 at 6pm. Subsequent to the publication of the dashboard on Thursday 26th November 2020 with…

  • Health Ministry cautions residents on the recall of Metformin products

    Health Ministry cautions residents on the recall of Metformin products

    The Ministry of Health, Wellness & The Environment (MoHWE) through the office of the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Alfred Athill has been monitoring several challenges that have been affecting the pharmaceutical industry and more specifically, the recall of two (2) very popular medicines namely Ranitidine (Zantac) used to treat heartburn and other gastrointestinal challenges and…

  • Rapid antigen tests arriving in countries to assist in COVID-19 response

    Rapid antigen tests arriving in countries to assist in COVID-19 response

    The Pan American Health Organization has deployed 190,000 new COVID-19 antigen diagnostic tests donated to four countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and is conducting training to implement pilot testing of their operation. From its logistics stock in Panama, PAHO shipped 80,000 tests to Ecuador, 40,000 to El Salvador, 40,000 to Honduras—to facilitate diagnostics…

  • Venezuela announces medicine against COVID-19

    Venezuela announces medicine against COVID-19

    President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday announced the discovery of a high-effective treatment capable of eliminating COVID-19 and pointed out that a drug will be presented to the World Health Organization (WHO) for certification. The treatment, based on a molecule called TR-10, was designed by the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), which had been working…

  • World Mental Health Day 2020: Investing in Mental Health

    World Mental Health Day 2020: Investing in Mental Health

    In the Caribbean and worldwide, mental health disorders are now recognised as the fifth major non-communicable disease and a major threat to health and economic development in the 21st century. According to the World Health Organization one in four persons globally will be affected by a mental disorder or neurological disorder in their lifetime and 450…

  • Antigua writes to US to revise Travel Advisory Warning on COVID-19

    Antigua writes to US to revise Travel Advisory Warning on COVID-19

    The Minister of Health reported that nine (9) patients are being actively treated for Covid-19 infection at this time. The source of the cases has been identified so that there is no “community spread”. The Minister explained that while there has been some “domestic spread”, it has been confined by placing more than 100 persons…

  • More than 20 new patients diagnosed with breast cancer so far this year

    More than 20 new patients diagnosed with breast cancer so far this year

    More than 230 women are living with breast cancer in Antigua and Barbuda. That’s according to Nurse Joycelyn Phillip who works in the Oncology Department at the Mount St. John’s Medical Centre. Nurse Phillip, who has worked in the department for 13 years, said the number of patients “has risen quite a bit” over the…

  • Guyana to reopen airports on October 12 to commercial flights

    Guyana to reopen airports on October 12 to commercial flights

    The Guyana Government has taken a decision to reopen its two international airports for scheduled commercial flights commencing Oct. 12. The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday and later confirmed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill. Edghill said the current closure of the airports will last until Oct. 11, following which it…

  • Despite large numbers of cases, countless people not yet exposed remain vulnerable to COVID-19 infection

    Despite large numbers of cases, countless people not yet exposed remain vulnerable to COVID-19 infection

    Reopening societies before health systems are ready “would risk a handful of cases in one area becoming a full-blown outbreak,” PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne said today. “As leaders across the world face pressure to resume social and public life, it’s important that they avoid making decisions in a vacuum. Data about the virus’s spread…

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]