Top Trusted News Source in Antigua
TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
REF. no:
(Consulting Services – Accountant)
Background
The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) was created to increase the amount of financing available to MSMEs in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The programme provides guarantees of up to 80% on loans made by private sector lenders to qualifying micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). ECPCGC became operational in 2020 and its staff is working with banks in the six nations that comprise the ECCU. In general, both banks and MSMEs are unfamiliar with guarantee schemes and the credit enhancement that they can provide. The process is that the entrepreneurs approach the financial institutions for loans, armed with their financial documents, projections, business history, and a clear idea of the purpose of the loan. The institutions would review the documents, adjudicate the loan, and if approved, send an application to ECPCGC for a guarantee to make up for the collateral deficit. In the absence of proper records, the financial institutions are unable to complete their assessments.
The Current Issue
The banks have cited the following issues that are prevalent among the customers:
Consequently, the institutions have requested that the clients get their files organized so that proper assessments may be made of the businesses and the need for financing. Many clients are cash constrained and are unable to afford the fees for an accountant to prepare the requisite statements. They, therefore, do not return to the banks with the documentation and so lose out on the opportunity to participate in the guarantee programme.
As the economies rebound from COVID 19, it is expected that the demand for guarantees will pick up, and there may be many more under prepared clients trying to access the guarantees. ECPCGC will send referrals to the accountant so that the required reports can be prepared for submission to the financial institutions.
The Purpose of the Assignment
ECPCGC is looking to obtain the services of an experienced accountant who has worked with MSMEs nationally and has experience in creating financial reports and projections from incomplete records.
The consultant would have the following responsibilities:
Fees will be paid on a “per client” basis.
Requirements
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10-15 years of accounting experience and would have substantial prior engagement with MSMEs.
Term of the Engagement
The engagement will last between 6 and 12 months beginning in June 2022.
Expression of Interest:
Interested applicants whose qualifications and experience are in line with the Terms of Reference are invited to submit their CV, a letter of application stating suitability for the position, two professional references on or before May 24, 2022 at 11:59 Atlantic Standard Time (AST) to [email protected] with the job reference number KN-ECPCGC-293793-CS-IDV in the subject line of the email.
Key Personnel
The following are key organizational staff that you may contact regarding any questions on the position:
Bernard Thomas, Chief Financial Officer, 869-466-8251, [email protected]
Carmen Gomez-Trigg, Chief Executive Officer, 868-620-8144, [email protected]
Terms of Reference for Marketing/Technical Assistance Expert for the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation
May 2022
Background
The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) was created to increase the amount of financing available to SMEs in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The scheme provides guarantees of up to 75% on loans made by private sector lenders to qualifying small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The scheme recently became operational and is working with banks in the six nations that comprise the ECCU. In general, both banks and SMEs are unfamiliar with guarantee schemes and the credit enhancement that they can provide.
The Current Issue
The ECPCGC was designed with a staff of four to five people to handle marketing, processing guarantee applications, and monitoring lender performance. During the initial operational phase, the need for training and implementation of the web portal has stressed the ability of the staff to keep up with day-to-day activities as well as handle the training. While the current staff has provided training on the web portal and terms and conditions of the guarantee scheme, it is likely that loan officers will have questions regarding both the terms and conditions of the scheme and web portal operations when they use the program for the first time.
The Covid virus has slowed business on the islands, including the requests for bank lending. When lending picks up, it is likely that loan officers will have questions regarding program operations and using the web portal. In addition, one of the concerns banks raise repeatedly is that many applications are not complete when submitted, requiring substantial additional time to get all of the information in a format that can be used for a credit application.
The Purpose of the Assignment
The ECPCGC is looking for an experienced bank or non-bank loan officer who has worked with SMEs in the Caribbean region and has experience in the Sales and Marketing of financial products. The consultant would have five main responsibilities.
Requirements
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10-15 years of SME lending experience in the Caribbean region, preferably in the countries of the ECCU.
Experience with marketing, sales, and/or working with a guaranteed lending scheme would be beneficial.
Term of the Engagement
The engagement will last between 6 and 12 months beginning in June 2022.
Expression of Interest:
Interested applicants whose qualifications and experience are in line with the Terms of Reference are invited to submit their CV, a letter of application stating suitability for the position, two professional references, and a current Police Certificate of Good Character on or before May 20, 2022 at 11:59 Atlantic Standard Time (AST) to [email protected] with the job reference number KN-ECPCGC-292033-CS-INDV in the subject line of the email.
Key Personnel
The following are key organizational staff that you may contact regarding any questions on the position:
Bernard Thomas, Chief Financial Officer, 869-466-8251, [email protected]
Carmen Gomez-Trigg, Chief Executive Officer, 868-620-8144, [email protected]
Terms of Reference for Marketing/Technical Assistance Expert for the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation
April 2022
Background
The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) was created to increase the amount of financing available to SMEs in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The scheme provides guarantees of up to 75% on loans made by privatesector lenders to qualifying small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The scheme recently became operational and is working with banks in the six nations that comprise the ECCU. In general, both banks and SMEs are unfamiliar with guarantee schemes and the credit enhancement that they can provide.
The Current Issue
The ECPCGC was designed with a staff of four to five people to handle marketing, processing guarantee applications, and monitoring lender performance. During the initial operational phase, the need for training and implementation of the web portal has stressed the ability of the staff to keep up with day-to-day activities as well as handle the training. While the current staff has provided training on the web portal and terms and conditions of the guarantee scheme, it is likely that loan officers will have questions regarding both the terms and conditions of the scheme and web portal operations when they use the program for the first time.
The Covid virus has slowed business on the islands, including the requests for bank lending. When lending picks up, it is likely that loan officers will have questions regarding program operations and using the web portal. In addition, one of the concerns banks raise repeatedly is that many applications are not complete when submitted, requiring substantial additional time to get all of the information in a format that can be used for a credit application.
The Purpose of the Assignment
The ECPCGC is looking for an experienced bank or non-bank loan officer who has worked with SMEs in the Caribbean region and has experience in the Sales and Marketing of financial products. The consultant would have fivemain responsibilities.
Requirements
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10-15 years of SME lending experience in the Caribbean region, preferably in the countries of the ECCU.
Experience with marketing, sales, and/or working with a guaranteed lending scheme would be beneficial.
Term of the Engagement
The engagement will last between 6 and 12 months beginning in June 2022.
Expression of Interest:
Interested applicants whose qualifications and experience are in line with the Terms of Reference are invited to submit their CV, a letter of application stating suitability for the position, two professional references, and a current Police Certificate of Good Character on or before May 3, 2022 at 11:59 Atlantic Standard Time (AST) to [email protected] with the job reference number KN-ECPCGC-156400-CS-INDV in the subject line of the email.
Key Personnel
The following are key organizational staff that you may contact regarding any questions on the position:
Bernard Thomas, Chief Financial Officer, 869-466-8251, [email protected]
Carmen Gomez-Trigg, Chief Executive Officer, 868-620-8144, [email protected]
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.
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:
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
Bird Rock, Basseterre,
St. Kitts.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 25th, 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
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:
Applicants should also have:
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
Economic Advisory Services – Project Management Consultant Terms of Reference
Antigua and Barbuda
Terms of Reference
Job Title |
Project Management Consultant |
Date of Issue
|
September 25, 2020 |
Deadline for application
|
December 1, 2020 |
To Apply |
Suitable candidates are invited to submit the following documents: cover letter and a curriculum vitae (CV) with contact information for three (3) references. Email the copy of the above referenced documents to [email protected] or mail to the following address: Procurement Officer NDC Partnership Support Unit c/o World Resources Institute 10 G St NE, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20002 Please use email subject line: “Project Management Consultant” |
Contracting Authority |
Department of Environment |
Duration of Contract
|
Short-term contract for 1 year |
Country
|
Antigua and Barbuda |
BACKGROUND
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda (GOAB) is to receive funding from the NDC Partnership to enhance its economic planning and recovery efforts and its response to both the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. The GOAB recently established an Economic Recovery Commission (ERC) in the wake of the pandemic. It comprises public-private stakeholders, who advise the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda on the long-term economic recovery of Antigua and Barbuda, including avenues to stimulate development and create jobs. The support of the NDC Partnership and its implementing partners will complement the work of the ERC.
Funding from the NDC Partnership will go towards the operationalization of a Project Management Unit (PMU) for the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance that will help the country to design and implement low-
carbon and climate resilient projects in line with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the ParisAgreement. This assistance will strengthen the country’s capacity to develop and execute interventions that address the adverse effects of climate change and improve its ability to attract climate finance.
The PMU within the Ministry of Finance will be tasked with coordinating the implementation of transformative projects for the building, road and finance sectors; and adaptation interventions. The PMU has to implement projects with oversight from the Department of the Environment (DOE) — an Accredited Entity (AE) to the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The PMU must also work with Executing Entities (EE) and other implementing partners. The PMU will consist of one or more Project Managers, one or more Project Coordinators, Project Component Coordinators, a Financial Officer, a Procurement Officer, an Environmental and Social Safeguards Officer, a Knowledge Management Officer, a Monitoring and Gender Officer, and an Administrative Officer.
Objectives of the Assignment
The objective of the assignment is to acquire the services of an experienced and qualified Project Management Consultant, who will be responsible for setting up and operationalizing the PMU. The Consultant will be required to set up and prepare for the operation of new projects while the project staff are being hired. The Project Management Consultant should have a proven track record of supervising and managing relevant projects. The Consultant will take responsibility for building the PMU’s capacity for planning, coordinating, and implementing low-emission and climate resilient projects. Also, the PMU will be required to carry out monitoring and evaluation and reporting functions. The Consultant will be based in the Ministry of Finance. The contractual period is expected to last for 12 months at which time the PMU should be established, and any new projects assigned will be in full operationalization and implementation phase.
Scope of Work
The Project Management Consultant will carry out specific duties and responsibilities under the general direction of the Ministry of Finance. The Project Management Consultant will:
Economic Advisory Services – Project Management Consultant, Antigua and Barbuda 2 October 2020
monitoring and reporting
Develop
provide initial oversight for the PMU staff in the execution of their respective duties, including
During this contract period, if the PMU has to implement a project, the Project Management Consultant will be provided with more detailed tasks.
Indicative Deliverables |
Timeline |
Detailed Workplan |
Within 2 weeks of signing contract |
PMU structure and work programme |
December 2020 |
Training and capacity building plan |
Within 1 month of signing contract |
Four (4) training workshops conducted |
November 2020 December 2020 February 2021 March 2021 |
Draft Project Operations Manual with policies, procedures and a fuctional project management system |
July 2021 |
Final Project Operations Manual |
August 2021 |
Final report on achievement of the objective of the consultancy and status of deliverables |
September 2021
|
Institutional Arrangements and Reporting
The Project Management Consultant will work under the guidance and supervision of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. The Project Management Consultant will provide oversight of the Project Management Unit and shall liaise with the government, NDC Partnership, donor agencies and other key stakeholders. The Project Management Consultant shall also collaborate with the Economic Advisor and the Climate Finance Analyst during the execution of his/her tasks and responsibilities.
Education, Experience, Skills and Abilities
The Project Management Consultant should possess the following qualifications:
Economic Advisory Services – Project Management Consultant, Antigua and Barbuda 4 October 2020
Invitation to Tender
Construction of Airport Heliport
Details:
Property located at the Eastern end of Runway 10 has been designated for a helicopter landing area. This tender is being offered for the construction of a helicopter landing pad as well as a 4 office building.
The area will require preparation and landing area constructed in accordance with ICAO and ECCAA regulations as well as logistically designed for maximum safety and benefit.
Requirements:
Deadline:
All bids must be submitted to [email protected] by 20 Nov. 2020. All enquires with regard to tender should be addressed to the above email.
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:
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]
Urgent work needed to rebuild Caribbean tourism
Share this article:
By Sir Ronald Sanders
To be among the first beneficiaries of a restarted global tourism industry, the present enforced downtime should be used by all actors to position Caribbean countries to compete immediately.
Hoteliers, restaurant owners, shops catering for tourists, should now be considering the protocols they need to institute to make themselves ready for the opening of borders. For instance, will face masks and gloves be part of the uniforms of everyone who interacts with visitors from the time they land and until they depart? In the absence of a vaccine for COVID-19, and for some time after one is developed, visitors and locals will want to be confident that contact will not lead to infection.
Airports and airlines in the region should now be considering how they will cope with even longer check-in times, physical distancing and the necessary health checks that will have to be conducted before passengers are allowed on airplanes. At least basic protocols should be formulated, and training for airport and airline personnel should be undertaken now. The countries that are ahead of this curve will give the greatest incentives to airlines to favour transporting passengers into and out of their airports.
Eventually, no doubt, international agencies will establish rules and procedures for air travel as they did in 2001 after 9/11 and during the SARS outbreak in 2003. But, Caribbean countries need not await international rules before building confidence in their own airports by putting sensible preparatory measures in place, rehearsing their execution and training staff.
Many questions arise from what will be an entirely new situation, and Caribbean governments should be considering them now. Among them are: will governments be willing to accept visitors cleared of COVID-19 by sending countries or will they want to conduct checks themselves? Should it be the latter, clearing passengers for entry after landing, particularly if two or more large aircraft arrive in a cluster, would be a very long and tiresome process unless airports are reconfigured to deal with hundreds of passengers at the same time. Staff for clearing passengers will also have to be significantly increased and trained.
Be part of the conversation.
Let us know what you think by adding a comment below. Click here to start now!
If Caribbean countries will have to ensure that passengers have been tested and cleared for COVID-19 on departure and arrival, work on addressing the enormous challenges should be addressed now. One consideration should be to re-deploy existing public servants from less urgent jobs to these necessary tasks.
Hotels should also be working to make themselves ready for visitors by preparing an environment that would give them comfort that they will not be threatened by COVID-19. This would include mandatory use of masks and gloves by all staff at all times. Physical distancing will also have to be implemented in hotel restaurants and bars; crowded spaces will only return when an effective COVID-19 vaccine has been found and distributed in enough quantities world-wide to restore health security.
The treatment of cruise ship passengers will also pose new and huge demands. Since a significant part of their experience is to wander through capital cities, shopping from vendors, big and small, going to beaches and using local transport, how are they to be checked and cleared for COVID-19? In the season, cruise ship passengers number thousands. If Caribbean health authorities want to ensure that these passengers pose no threat to the local population, measures must be put in place to cope with the issue.
Further, the cruise passengers and the cruise companies will want to be assured that the countries at which they are calling have significantly reduced COVID-19 infections and that they have in operation continuous safeguards against the spread of the disease. Undoubtedly, they will also want to be confident that the health facilities in the country are adequate for treating tourists who may contract the disease.
Therefore, this downtime should not be treated as a period of paralysis. It should be an interval to galvanize action by all in the industry, in each country, to institute measures that will give cruise ship companies, tour operators and airlines comfort that they are ready to protect the health of their visitors. They also need to communicate such actions to the global tourism community. When tourism authorities and hotels claim they are open for business, that claim should be supported by evidence of their readiness to provide an environment of health safety.
Cruise ship companies want to get their ships cruising. They have lost more than US$750 million in the first quarter of this year. Shares in Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian have dropped by 60 to 70%. They, too, have to restore passenger confidence that their ships will be safe. But, however safe they may make their ships, they will want to be assured that the ports at which they call are also safe.
Airlines have also taken a huge beating. Virgin Airlines is seeking a bailout, or it might never fly again; Airlines for America report that American, Jet Blue and others are already on track to lose US$87 billion in revenue this year; British Airways has had to lay-off 12,000 staff, and is faced with closing down its operations at London Gatwick Airport from which Caribbean flights are served. Global air travel could lose more than US$252 billion this year.
Airlines, too, need to get their planes in the air. They will fly to the countries best prepared to deal with COVID-19. So, the players in the Caribbean tourism industry at local and regional levels should be taking action now.
They will be doing so in an atmosphere of concern about flying and cruising. Any pent-up demand for tourism will be tempered by fear and by cost. Configuring airplanes for safe physical distancing will reduce the number of passengers and consequently increase the cost of travel.
Both North America and Europe are now facing huge job losses and millions of people are forced to spend their savings. Only the well-off will easily be able to afford leisure travel in the immediate future. COVID-19 is forecast to cause a fall in tourism receipts globally of 20-30% (or US$450 billion) this year. By comparison, during the global recession of 2008 international tourist arrivals declined by only 4%, while the 2003 SARS outbreak resulted in a decline of a mere 0.4%.
The problem is real and alarming. Building confidence in tourism capacity must start now, if the Caribbean will be ready to take advantage of borders opening.
Share this article:
Join the Conversation!
In Other News
Omarrie Graham,17, of Bendals is Antigua’s latest homicide victim
Reversing the triangular trade – Antigua – Nigeria airline
Miss All Saints West, Aliyah Wayne Crowned Labour Queen 2024
ABHTI Launches Exciting Short Courses for Upskilling in Hospitality and Tourism
Definition of The Church
17-year-old male stabbed to death in Bendals