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  • Local agent provokes disgust with video marketing the ‘selling of passports;’ Lovell says advert damages national brand

Local agent provokes disgust with video marketing the ‘selling of passports;’ Lovell says advert damages national brand

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Antigua & Barbuda citizens are expressing their disgust with the Gaston Browne Administration after an advertisement by a CIP passport agent went into local circulation yesterday.

Many persons describe the ad as “vulgar,” with one resident likening the sales pitch to “somebody selling bread and cheese.”

In the video, the agent asks: “Do you wanna buy a passport? I’m sure you think this is illegal but selling passports is my job. … This is where I live. My country sells citizenship and I am a citizenship agent. … And the best part is…. it’s legal!”

United Progressive Party Political Leader Harold Lovell is the person who piloted the Citizenship by Investment Bill through Parliament when he served as Minister of Finance.
“The CIP programme is controversial,” he admits. “There are several positives, but one of the negatives is highlighted in this ad. It is vulgar [and] significantly damages our national brand.”

He explains the genesis of the CIP program in Antigua & Barbuda, stating that it was designed along the lines of the St. Kitts initiative, and was intended to generate economic activity by persons whose citizenship is tied to investment ventures.

He cites the development at Nonsuch Bay as a successful example, saying it provides both employment for the people and revenues for the Government.

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Lovell is highly critical of the tone of the ad and says it should be pulled down immediately; further, he believes the agent should be investigated to determine whether he is in breach of Section 11 of the _CIP Act._

If he was acting outside the ambit of the Citizenship by Investment Unit, Lovell says, the passport agent should face criminal charges. And if he was, indeed, acting under the Unit’s authority, then the agency, itself, should be held accountable for what he sees as a “very, very serious error” in judgment.

The United States, Canada, Singapore and other countries have programmes to fast-track permanent residency and citizenship, Lovell notes. And they market their programmes with the utmost care, being conscious of their image and how other people view their country. —A REAL News Report

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One response to “Local agent provokes disgust with video marketing the ‘selling of passports;’ Lovell says advert damages national brand”

  1. Lovell you are a damm hypo!!! How dare you talk about selling passports? You were the Finance Minister when the government you were apart of decided to sell away, sell away like there was no tomorrow, our valued passport. Now you wanna come here spew filt on the public’s radio and social media? BOSS move yo r*sss-ole!!!

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]