Antigua Breaking News

Category: Regional News

  • Cuba’s LGBTQ community celebrates same-sex marriage with pride conga

    Cuba’s LGBTQ community celebrates same-sex marriage with pride conga

    (AFP)— Around 200 Cubans marched in Havana on Saturday to the rhythm of conga, a popular dance, protesting against homophobia and transphobia, and celebrating the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Chanting “socialism yes, homophobia no”, demonstrators swayed their hips and beat rhythmically on drums as they cheered the ‘Family Code’, passed last September. The code permits…

  • United Nations now involved in case of Camaroonian refugees in St. Kitts

    United Nations now involved in case of Camaroonian refugees in St. Kitts

    (WINN) — The United Nations (UN) is now involved in the case of the 14 Cameroonians currently on St. Kitts after being rescued off the coast of the island, having left Antigua for the US Virgin Island at the end of March 2023 says St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister. According to the Prime Minister,…

  • LETTER: To P.M. Mia Mottley

    LETTER: To P.M. Mia Mottley

    Dear Madam P.M. Thank you for recognizing that we are still being sold, and failing to sell, except local market style, local tours, local food (catching on) excursions etc, while our Tourist Boards and Airport Authorities continue to protect the big dollar business of Tourism and Travel for the expatriate business owners and foreign business…

  • U.S. Government Expanding Access to Lawful Pathways to Migration

    U.S. Government Expanding Access to Lawful Pathways to Migration

    On Thursday, April 27, the United States Government announced sweeping new measures to further reduce unlawful migration across the Western Hemisphere and significantly expand lawful pathways to facilitate the safe, orderly, and humane processing of migrants. The CDC’s temporary Title 42 public health order will end at 11:59 PM on May 11.  Lifting the title…

  • Gender policy row brewing at UWI

    Gender policy row brewing at UWI

    (Jamaica Observer) — A major row is developing at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) over a proposed new gender policy which will require everyone connected to the regional institution to be referred to by the gender with which they identify. The new policy focuses on a person’s gender identity — cisgender, transgender,…

  • Visitor dies after falling at hotel on St. Kitts

    Visitor dies after falling at hotel on St. Kitts

    (WINN) — Reports reaching our news desk suggested that a male hotel guest on St. Kitts died due to a fall. The police have shared that the incident involving the overseas visitor occurred around 8 p.m. on May 9, 2023. The statement from law enforcement reads, “Emergency services (EMS) received a call for assistance for…

  • Man arrested for placing hidden camera in Royal Caribbean Cruise ship’s public bathroom: FBI

    Man arrested for placing hidden camera in Royal Caribbean Cruise ship’s public bathroom: FBI

    (NBC 6) — A man is facing serious charges after FBI officials said he placed a hidden camera inside a public restroom on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that filmed more than 150 people including children. Jeremy Froias was arrested on charges of video voyeurim and attempted possession of child exploitation material, according to an…

  • Caribbean heat season warms up, may be hotter than usual

    Caribbean heat season warms up, may be hotter than usual

    (Loop News) — It has been a hot couple of months for many Caribbean islands with no end in sight to the excessive heat. According to the Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) in its heat outlook for May to October 2023, excessive heat can be expected, especially in August and September. The heat outlook…

  • Consultations on strategic approach to the governance of migration in the Caribbean

    Consultations on strategic approach to the governance of migration in the Caribbean

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM – UN Migration) has concluded a two-day consultation process with key national and regional stakeholders, where it presented for the first time, a draft strategy to guide the work of the organization in the Dutch and English-speaking Caribbean between (2023-26). The draft IOM Caribbean Strategy (2023-26) was presented during…

  • US Coast Guard offloads US$10.2 million in cocaine seized in Caribbean Sea

    US Coast Guard offloads US$10.2 million in cocaine seized in Caribbean Sea

    (CMC) – The United States Coast Guard says the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier and Caribbean Corridor Strike Force agents have offloaded 901 pounds of cocaine in Puerto Rico following the interdiction of a smuggling vessel in the Caribbean Sea. The US Coast Guard said the three men apprehended in the case…

  • Dancehall artiste Kemar Highcon arrested for alleged grand theft auto in Florida

    Dancehall artiste Kemar Highcon arrested for alleged grand theft auto in Florida

    (Jamaica Observer) — Dancehall artiste Kemar Highcon has been arrested in the US and slapped with a grand theft auto charge which is a third degree felony. According to Broward County public records, the arrest was made on May 5 in Florida. Efforts to get a comment from the Sauce Boss’ management team proved futile.…

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]