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  • Inspection of the General Post Office scheduled for today

Inspection of the General Post Office scheduled for today

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An assessment will be conducted today of the ongoing repairs that were agreed upon following a meeting last Thursday among government officials, representatives of the General Post Office (GPO), the Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association (ABPSA) and the Antigua and Barbuda Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU).

Services at the GPO ground to a halt last month when its staff walked off the job due to what they called the unsanitary conditions of the building.

The dispute resulted in Prime Minister Gaston Browne calling out the military to man the GPO after its staff refused to work. PM Browne agreed to meet with the ABPSA, AT&LU and representatives of the GPO last week, however, to discuss a way forward.

In that meeting, the Ministry of Works committed to complete repairs to address the difficult working conditions identified by the workers weeks ago. It was also agreed that proper health, safety and welfare standards would be immediately implemented to include air quality testing, the removal of mould and the improvement of physical aspects of the interior of the building.

Today’s assessment will review the progress of these efforts. The Ministry of Works has also committed to long-term rehabilitation of the GPO including the complete repair of its roof which is badly damaged in some areas resulting in severe leaks in some parts of the building. The external drainage system will also be addressed.

In the meantime, the public can access some of the GPO’s services, such as the sale of stamps, at the Woods Branch and the Treasury. These services resumed last Friday. From today, limited services will resume at the Civil Registry, Dockyard and All Saints.

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The General Post Office Headquarters will accommodate the sale of stamps and will issue parcels and Registered Mail. This, however, will be subject to the review of the premises today.

Alternative office arrangements are being made so that other essential functions of the GPO such as mail-sorting and delivery, can be restored while the roof is repaired.

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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]