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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 small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, or related field; and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending in a financial services institution. The initial contracted employment period will be for two years subject to a performance review and an expression of further contracted employment three months before the expiration of the existing contract. The assignment is expected to begin on April 15, 2021.
The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC and the ECPCGC Board of Directors.
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below.
https://tinyurl.com/yygezdt9
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, Accounting, or related field; and
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending in a financial services institution.
Applicants should also have:
- 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
- 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 software.
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.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by February 16, 2021 to [email protected]
Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation
Brid Rock, Basseterre,
St. Kitts.
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]
3 responses to “UPP unveils MOM Programme, aimed at ensuring that children do not suffer when fathers cannot maintain them”
I have no problem with a MOM Programme, or even a MOM & POP Programme: it sounds commendable. You may pickup some votes there. But, what I am mostly concerned about following the next General Election are the following:
1. The positive expansion and state of Antigua and Barbuda’s economy, and
2. A 49% acquisition of the country’s wealth by the local population, and a prorata distribution of the national income.
It is important to take early note that in all societies’ wealth and income go hand in hand, meaning that: the people who own most of the wealth of a country will always earn most of its income, and concurrently, the strata of the population that owns only a negligible portion of its wealth will also only earn a negligible portion of its income.
So, in Antigua and Barbuda where expatriate investors own perhaps as much as 95% of the country’s wealth, the same investors will be earning approximately 95% of the country’s income. But, this is an unhealthy economic relationship between the indigenous population and expatriate investors that did not happen overnight. Nevertheless, it needs to be corrected and corrected now. The correction process can commence with the Government passing legislation demanding that all foreign owned companies sell 49% 0f their equity (shares) via the Eastern Caribbean Stock Exchange (ECSE) to the indigenous population. Once this happens, local people will also be elected to the Boards of Directors.
There is no time left for our Government, if they truly care for our people, to be chasing after expatriate investors in Dubai and other parts of the world. We already have enough hotels and other foreign owned entities and businesses here. But, the time has come for the indigenous population to get its share of what have been built up over many years. We need to correct all inequalities and inequities now.
The correction will make it possible for Antigua and Barbuda to introduce a new Antigua and Barbuda Dollar equivalent in value to the United States Dollar; the United States Dollar may also be used as a parallel currency. Antigua and Barbuda will then try to link its economy with that of the United States by developing a manufacturing export trade relationship with the United States, particularly in garment manufacturing and export to the USA while continuing to host American visitors and importing assorted goods in return. Antigua and Barbuda will then aspire to living an American life stile: of all Caribbean territories. Antigua and Barbuda has the highest potential to do this, probably in parallel with Barbados.
All of our political parties need to come on board with this; if not, I may just jump into the political arena and fight for a prosperous future Antigua and Barbuda.
On second thought, the problem I find with the Mom Programme is that it’s an example of Socialism /Communism. Because, you are saying that, in effect, the State will become the Father of our children. So, the young people will be inclined to become irresponsible: running around making babies, knowing that they don’t have to care how they are going to be Fed, Clothed or Sheltered. You see what I mean?
But, the big question is: where exactly the One Million ($ 1,000,000) A Year is going to come from. That is what you should know before you make the promise. Because, if it’s not coming out of New Money created in the Economy, it means you are going to have to cancel or scale back some previously existing programme. So, in effect, you are making a promise that you don’t know how you are going to finance. On the other hand, you are prioritizing Social Work before planning its Economic Feasibility. That may amount to a False Promise.
What you need to do, as a Political Party is to always Prioritize Economic Planning before you make Promises. Your Promises seem to me like: Leonard ‘Tim’ Hector rising from the Grave. By Heavens, if you are not an Economist yourself, ask one of the economists in your Party to come up with a Feasible Plan before you make such kind of promises. Because, when the time comes, and you don’t have the money, you will run straight to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). And, that kind of move, the last time, caused a lot of suffering in our country. A word for the wise is sufficient.
We don’t want a new Government just sitting there twiddling its thumbs for the next five (5) years, and our country not making any Economic Progress. At the same time, we don’t want expatriate investors to continue taking over what’s left of our country. That’s why, I am saying that the people of our country must immediately acquire 49% of the equity (shares) in all foreign controlled business entities and enterprises in Antigua and Barbuda. You are welcome aboard.
Rather than our Government becoming Father of our nation’s children, their efforts could be better directed at creating employment for all of our unemployed men and women of working age. Any Government that fails to do this is ‘no Government at all’.