Antigua Breaking News

Category: World News

  • Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to cut 10,000 staff

    Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to cut 10,000 staff

    (BBC) — Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs. It will be the second wave of mass redundancies from the tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the cuts – part of a “year of efficiency” – would be “tough”…

  • Confirmed: Global floods, droughts worsening with warming

    Confirmed: Global floods, droughts worsening with warming

    The intensity of extreme drought and rainfall has “sharply” increased over the past 20 years, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Water. These aren’t merely tough weather events, they are leading to extremes such as crop failure, infrastructure damage, even humanitarian crises and conflict. The big picture on water comes from…

  • Dutch court convicts man of removing condom without consent

    Dutch court convicts man of removing condom without consent

    (AP) — A Dutch man was convicted Tuesday of removing his condom during sex without his partner’s consent, in the first trial in the Netherlands for so-called “stealthing.” However Dordrecht District Court acquitted the man of a rape charge because it ruled that the sex was consensual. “By his actions, the suspect forced the victim…

  • Commonwealth Day to be celebrated around the world

    Commonwealth Day to be celebrated around the world

    Commonwealth Day will be celebrated on Monday with observances, speeches, exhibitions and cultural events across the 56 Commonwealth member countries. With ‘Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future’ as its theme, the day aims to unite 2.5 billion Commonwealth citizens in celebration of their shared values and principles, and in pursuit of a common future,…

  • ‘Worms rain’ down in China, residents urged to find shelter

    ‘Worms rain’ down in China, residents urged to find shelter

    Citizens of the Chinese province of Liaoning were told to find shelter after it started to rain worms. A viral clip showed the area apparently being showered with little worms, which were splattered all over cars. In the video residents could be seen covering themselves with umbrellas as they go along with their routines. While…

  • Rats carry COVID-19: ‘Could pose a risk to humans,’ new study says

    Rats carry COVID-19: ‘Could pose a risk to humans,’ new study says

    (NY Post) — Maybe the rats do run this city. New York City rodents can carry the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 – and researchers fear it could be transmitted to humans, according to a new study. The new research, published Thursday in the American Society for Microbiology “mBio,” determined that the rats could be…

  • Man, 41, dies after taking two Viagra pills while drinking

    Man, 41, dies after taking two Viagra pills while drinking

    A 41-year-old man has died after taking two Viagra tablets while drinking alcohol, it has been reported. The man, from Nagpur, India, was staying at a hotel with a female friend, with the pair drinking together before he took two 50mg tablets of sildenafil, which is sold under the brand name Viagra. When he woke…

  • Florida flight returns to Cuba after birds cause engine fire

    Florida flight returns to Cuba after birds cause engine fire

    (AP) — A flight to Florida from Cuba was forced to turn back Sunday after it struck birds that caused an engine to catch fire and filled the cabin with smoke, a news report said. Southwest Airlines flight 2923 headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, returned to Havana after striking the birds, WSVN-TV reported. No injuries…

  • Nations reach accord to protect marine life on high seas

    Nations reach accord to protect marine life on high seas

    (AP) — For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas – representing a turning point for vast stretches of the planet where conservation has previously been hampered by a confusing patchwork of laws. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea came…

  • Nigeria’s Air Peace in talks with Boeing over B787s – CEO

    Nigeria’s Air Peace in talks with Boeing over B787s – CEO

    (ch-aviation) — Air Peace (P4, Lagos) is in talks with Boeing over a potential B787 order, according to Chief Executive Officer Allen Onyema. Responding to a question on the carrier’s fleet plans during a SkyConnect Leadership Dialogue webcast hosted by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) on February 13, 2023, Onyema said: “We have our B777s,…

  • ‘Older woman’ who took Prince Harry’s virginity selling odd gift he gave her

    ‘Older woman’ who took Prince Harry’s virginity selling odd gift he gave her

    Sasha Walpole — the now-infamous woman who took Prince Harry’s virginity when he was just a teenager — is now selling one of the gifts he gave her. Walpole, 40, is auctioning off the item in order to raise money for victims of the Turkey and Syria earthquake. The present was a Miss Piggy doll…

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]