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  • Delay in swearing-in Simon appears to be political, Symister says

Delay in swearing-in Simon appears to be political, Symister says

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(REAL News) — The delayed swearing-in of Kelvin “Shugy” Simon, the recently re-elected representative for St. Mary’s South, is as a political move by the Gaston Browne Administration, as far as attorney Leon Chaku Symister is concerned.

Simon made history by becoming the first candidate to win two elections in one year, when, on October 24, he trounced the Antigua Labour candidate by 174 votes, dashing Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s hopes of capturing the seat.

Despite the time lag, says Symister, Simon automatically became a member of the House of Representatives once the Writ of Elections was returned to the Governor-General on October 25.

However, he notes that, based on the Standing Orders of the Lower House, the oath of office must be taken before a new MP is allowed to participate in parliamentary proceedings.

According to Symister, the current political delay appears to be in line with what took place following the January 18, 2023, General Elections, when the Opposition MPs were not sworn in until mid-
February.

Symister, the United Progressive Party (UPP) spokesman on legal matters, says the Party has been “dancing on a stage of popularity” over the past several months and the people remain “hyped up.”

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To have the swearing-in take place now, and to bring scores of people to the Parliament to witness Simon’s oath-taking, would be another slap in the face for the Antigua Labour Party government, he
says.

Meanwhile, he explains that when a person is voted in at a by-election, the Parliament is already in place; so it is basically a matter of having the new member sworn in at the earliest possible time.

However, Symister says there is absolutely no legitimate excuse for the length of time it is taking to have Simon officially seated as an MP.

According to the attorney, this action by the Government bench clearly shows that there is a need for Constitution reform – and for the establishment of a time frame in which a newly elected MP
should take the oath of office.

To underscore his point, he notes that senators can be selected and sworn in on the same day.

In this regard, the UPP spokesperson says, members of the Lower House should be accorded greater priority, since they were elected by the people and not selected by any particular entity.

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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]