Antigua Breaking News

Category: Local News

  • LIAT meeting a success, St Vincent PM says. Julie Reifer-Jones stays for now

    LIAT meeting a success, St Vincent PM says. Julie Reifer-Jones stays for now

    St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says progress has been made regarding the future direction of the cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT, following a more than four-hour meeting in Barbados on Monday night. “Our meeting lasted over four hours with the union leaders, the management, the shareholders and other officials and I…

  • LIAT important to Grenada’s economy, PM Mitchell says

    LIAT important to Grenada’s economy, PM Mitchell says

    The Grenada government said Tuesday that the local economy would be damaged if the cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT, is allowed to end its operations. “With our present situation in Grenada, if LIAT goes down and we are not able to travel, it will take some time before a new airline emerges, it will damage our…

  • Wanted men now in police custody

    Wanted men now in police custody

    Two men who were wanted by police for a series of serious offences are now in custody. Tristan Raheem “Benz” Armstrong surrendered on Monday, accompanied by a known community activist. The 28-year-old man was reportedly convinced by family members to turn himself in. Meanwhile, Sevorn “Angry Bird” Burton, of Gray’s Farm surrendered to police around…

  • Fernandez calls Nathan Dundas’ statement on Carnival Crusie Lines ‘deceptive’

    Fernandez calls Nathan Dundas’ statement on Carnival Crusie Lines ‘deceptive’

    Minister of Tourism and Investment Charles “Max” Fernandez issued the following statement today in Response to news articles on Carnival Cruise Lines Call Cancellations The Ministry of Tourism and Investment condemns unequivocally a misleading and scare-mongering statement made by a local shipping agent, Nathan Dundas, which serves the purposes of interested parties, other than the…

  • Air Canada cancels Caribbean flights as Max 8 ban widens

    Air Canada cancels Caribbean flights as Max 8 ban widens

    Air Canada has cancelled two flights which were scheduled to operate Wednesday between Montreal and the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe – a French overseas territory – falls under EU rules.  Air Canada has also cancelled multiple scheduled flights to and from London after the U.K. closed its airspace to Boeing 737 Max 8s, the type of…

  • Florida Caribbean Cruise Association writes PM Browne

    Florida Caribbean Cruise Association writes PM Browne

    The President of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Michelle Paige has written to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, weeks after the PM accused the FCCA of exploiting the region. FULL LETTER: On  behalf  of  the  FCCA  Member  Lines,  we  thank  the  Government  of  Antigua  for  its long-standing partnership with the cruise industry, and we praise the initiative…

  • CIBC’s ‘job shadow’ initiative a success

    CIBC’s ‘job shadow’ initiative a success

    All across the region eager young women filed into the branches and offices of regional bank CIBC FirstCaribbean to “fill” a variety of positions for the day on Friday March 8. The “job shadow” was one of the bank’s key activities across its 16-member regional footprint to mark International Women’s Day observed around the world…

  • Union calls in CID to probe missing money

    Union calls in CID to probe missing money

    The Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) has solicited the assistance of the police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to investigate the alleged disappearance of monies that were to be placed into a Thrift Fund for the benefit of workers at the Jolly Beach Corporation and the Jolly Beach Resort and Spa. Deputy General Secretary of…

  • Leroy’s King’s latest appeal to block his extradition has been dismissed

    Leroy’s King’s latest appeal to block his extradition has been dismissed

    The Court of Appeal on Monday dismissed an application by Leroy King to take his fight against his extradition to the Judicial Committee of Privy Council. King is wanted in the United States on 11 fraud-related charges stemming from the US$7 billion Ponzi scheme carried out by the disgraced American billionaire, former financier and banker…

  • To Protect and to Serve – Police Officers Deserve Far Better

    To Protect and to Serve – Police Officers Deserve Far Better

    By Audley Phillip Have you visited the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the St. John’s police precinct recently?  Phew!  Atrocious, deplorable, detestable, appalling are just some of the words I would use to describe the conditions there. A police officers first job is to keep the community safe but the actual duties of the men and…

  • Carnival Cruise Lines pulls out of Antigua

    Carnival Cruise Lines pulls out of Antigua

    Carnival Cruise Lines has announced it is cancelling all scheduled calls to Antigua effective March 13, President of the cruise association Nathan Dundas has announced. The announcement comes two weeks after Prime Minister Gaston Browne accused the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association of exploiting the region. The cruise line did not give a reason for its decision. “So all…

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]