Antigua Breaking News

Top Trusted News Source in Antigua

Search
Previous slide
Next slide

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Citizens must address the underlying issues of government spending, or when they say pay we just have to pay

Citizens must address the underlying issues of government spending, or when they say pay we just have to pay

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

By Audley Phillip

Just mere weeks after the Prime Minister announced in his Independence day message that Antigua and Barbuda was expected to see a phenomenal growth rate of over 8 percent this year, which according to him made Antigua and Barbuda the country with the second fastest growth rate in the region, the Prime Minister has given a clear indication of his government’s  intention to raise the Antigua & Barbuda Sales Tax by a possible 2 percent soon.

If Antigua & Barbuda is doing so well, then the people should expect  at a minimum NO NEW TAXES or even more,  a decrease in some of the taxes that we are already on the books..

The age of spending anyhow now without accountability is ruining our country and the prospects for our children’s future.  We cannot allow partisan politics to  make us overlook the long term effects of blind  policies and programs that are likely to have a severe negative impact on the citizens’ purse in the long run .  If we do not take stock of how we do things now, it will inevitably create a future of economic hardships for us  and generations  to come later.  We simply cannot close our eyes to the reality of the situation that is before us today.

Taxpayers have repeatedly watched  the government respond to some  problems with the creation of new ones,  with dire spending initiatives that were never budgeted for. Some  cases in point are the Alfa Nero Vessel  and the enormous amount of money that we are spending to maintain and sustain it,  the huge sums of money  that was spent on the St. Mary’s South by-election, and so much more.  All this  money came out of the treasury – it is our money that we paid in taxes.

The Government must find ways and means of reorganizing and repurposing the money that it already has within the Government bureaucracy and not try to impose additional burden on the people by way of additional taxes.

Be part of the conversation.

Let us know what you think by adding a comment below. Click here to start now!

There are also programs within the government that have outlived their mission and usefulness  and are operating  way below peak efficiencies.  All such wasteful spending has been a contributing factor to the government deteriorating fiscal health today.

Quite honestly, the people deserve  better  from their government in terms of how our tax dollars are spent.    Every dollar spent by the government must be measured by its effect on actual outcomes.  Value for money is the only way.

Our system of government lacks serious oversight..and  there are little or no checks and balances once the government budget is passed annually. This situation only deepens the mistrust in government  and how they spend our hard earned tax dollars.

There must be justification for wanting to increase taxes when the country is doing so good and to date the government has provided none.  Without that, we the citizens would simply just be giving the GOVERNMENT a blank check to do as they please  and when they say PAY, WE JUST PAY.

Аdvеrtіѕе wіth thе most visited news site in Antigua and Barbuda ~ Wе оffеr fullу сuѕtоmіzаblе аnd flехіblе dіgіtаl mаrkеtіng расkаgеѕ. Yоur соntеnt іѕ dеlіvеrеd іnѕtаntlу tо thоuѕаndѕ оf uѕеrѕ іn Antigua аnd аbrоаd via our One Signal push notifications! Соntасt uѕ аt [email protected].

———————————————————————

Make a donation to help support ABN, via PayPal: [email protected]. Follow Antigua Breaking News on X, formerly Twitter @ABNAntigua, and Instgram @AntiguaBreakingNews and on Facebook. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-268-779-3189 or email us at [email protected].

Click Here to Get the News Delivered Directly to You.

Аdvеrtіѕе wіth thе most visited news site in Antigua and Barbuda ~ Wе оffеr fullу сuѕtоmіzаblе аnd flехіblе dіgіtаl mаrkеtіng расkаgеѕ. Yоur соntеnt іѕ dеlіvеrеd іnѕtаntlу tо thоuѕаndѕ оf uѕеrѕ іn Antigua аnd аbrоаd via our One Signal push notifications! Соntасt uѕ аt [email protected].

———————————————————————

Make a donation to help support ABN, via PayPal: [email protected]. Follow Antigua Breaking News on X, formerly Twitter @ABNAntigua, and Instgram @AntiguaBreakingNews and on Facebook. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-268-779-3189 or email us at [email protected].

Click Here to Get the News Delivered Directly to You.

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

Join the Conversation!

One response to “Citizens must address the underlying issues of government spending, or when they say pay we just have to pay”

  1. Well written article Audley as you usually does.Your article is very much outlining the grave situation that is happening in our country with our finances.It is the citizens tax payers money.It is not the government damn money for them to do as they pleases.We need the government to be accountable to us.they work for us ,we have the handle to remove them..Yes the Alfa Margo is draining our economy oh what a waste of money from our Treasury every week..Let us lock down the country and boycott the business places that supports the Govt.How can I denounce the land of my birth Antigua and Barbuda Iand ask St..Kitts to adopt me. I don’t want to be an Antiguan anymore me soon 70 yrs old me never experience so much nonsense and foolishness in the land of my birth only under the leadership of the Tap Dawg.He needs to check himself.

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]