Antigua Breaking News

Top Trusted News Source in Antigua

Search
Previous slide
Next slide

King Charles III invites SVG PM to Balmoral for an audience

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

King Charles III has invited the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines to Balmoral for an audience as the Caribbean island nation considers dumping him as head of state.

The monarch was pictured smiling and shaking hands with Dr Ralph Gonsalves and his wife Eloise at the Aberdeenshire castle.

This comes after the island nation’s PM proposed a referendum asking if the monarch should be replaced with an appointed ‘executive president’ and the Earl and Countess of Wessex faced protests when they visited in April.

In July, Gonsalves told his country’s parliament that the vote would be an opportunity to ‘complete the national democratic task’ – after they gained their independence from the UK in 1979.

It is the PM’s second attempt for his country to become a republic in his 21 years in power.

In 2009, he backed a reform that would have seen a president installed but a referendum on the issue received only 43 per cent of support.

Be part of the conversation.

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

This was well below the two-thirds majority needed to pass, according to the country’s constitution.

But a repeat of the measure is reportedly more likely to succeed now because of the recent similar moves in the region.

When Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex visited St Vincent and the Grenadines in April, they were met with protests calling for reparations for British colonialism.

The demonstrators held up banners and signs reading ‘End to Colonialism’, Reparation Now’, ‘Down with Neo-colonialism’ and ‘Compensation Now’.

The potential move comes after the Bahamas removed the Queen as head of state last November, prior to her death.

Make a donation to help support ABN, via PayPal: [email protected]. Follow Antigua Breaking News on Twitter @ABNAntigua and Instgram @AntiguaBreakingNews and on Facebook. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-868-704-9864 or email us at [email protected] 

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR NEWS UPDATES.

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

Join the Conversation!

Comments are closed.

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]