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LIAT could return in November – Nicholas

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It is almost certain now that the Antigua-based regional carrier, LIAT, will return to the skies, perhaps as early as next month.

This is the latest update from Cabinet spokesman, Minister of Information, Melford Nicholas, who said the positive news was passed on to the Cabinet by Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

“The conditions are that LIAT will be able to take to the skies in the new month [November]. I won’t hazard a precise date as there are operational issues to be worked out, but from our information, it’s a question of when, not if, that LIAT will fly again,” Nicholas declared.

Nicholas made the disclosure on Thursday morning during the post-Cabinet press briefing while addressing a question related to the coming ‘Travel Bubble’ that is being established between Barbados and the OECS territories.

“The Travel Bubble augurs well for LIAT for it means that people will be able to move with a degree of freedom within the region,” he indicated.

Nicholas added that Antigua and Barbuda is essentially a Caribbean metropolis in the context of the number of Caribbean nationals who have made the country their home.

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He suggested too that the limitations on the movement of people within the region due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has likely resulted in ‘pent-up’ demand for intra-regional travel.

LIAT halted all commercial flights on April 4 this year when most of the countries within its network closed their borders to guard against the coronavirus.

Already in dire financial straits prior to the lockdown, the pandemic only served to worsen LIAT’s problems.

This led to most of the airline’s shareholder governments agreeing to liquidate the heavily indebted airline after they were unable to agree on providing another financial bailout for the airline.

Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister, Gaston Browne, single handedly launched a campaign to save LIAT from certain death by proposing the reorganisation of the airline.

Several hundred of LIAT’s staff who are based in St. John’s contribute significantly to Antigua and Barbuda’s economy through Medical Benefits, Social Security, Education Levy and other statutory and private spending activities.

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3 responses to “LIAT could return in November – Nicholas”

  1. Wow..hope they change the management team or else in less than one year time liat will be here again. Liat got rid of the two useless Bajans and the dishonest Trini Liar/Lawyer. There is another Trini there who went from being a third class Flight attendant to wha exec. That needs to go. Pure madness in that department. Shake up the management team, get rid of the losers and bring in fresh blood at the exec table.

  2. Nuff Respect to PM Gaston Browne and his government IF he manages to pull this off. LIAT is a Caribbean institution that is necessary for CARICOM to ever work. It just baffles me that everyone cant understand this, including ALL member states of CARICOM and OECS governments. You find cash to subsidize all the other foreign airlines to operate to your countries but not your own???? really???
    The next major concern is WHO will manage this restart?
    Please dont tell me the same old managers who ran LIAT into the ground before COVID put in the final nails in its coffin.
    ????

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]