Antigua Breaking News

Category: Business

  • Moderna COVID-19 vaccine works against U.K. and South Africa variants

    Moderna COVID-19 vaccine works against U.K. and South Africa variants

    Moderna today announced results from in vitro neutralization studies of sera from individuals vaccinated with Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine showing activity against emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2. Vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine produced neutralizing titers against all key emerging variants tested, including B.1.1.7 and B.1.351, first identified in the UK and Republic of South Africa, respectively.…

  • Opposition slams gov’t cannabis licence fee

    Opposition slams gov’t cannabis licence fee

    Running a medical marijuana operation in Antigua and Barbuda will cost an investor a whopping EC$325,000 in a licence fee, a sum so steep that, some politicians believe it may shut out the local man. The United Progressive Party (UPP) for one, wants the government to go back to the drawing board and reduce the…

  • Grant Thornton is Best Corporate Citizen 2020

    Grant Thornton is Best Corporate Citizen 2020

    Grant Thornton was presented with the Halo Foundation’s Corporate Citizen Award 2020  by Sir Rodney and Lady Williams on Jan. 21 at Government House. The award was received by the company’s Managing Partner Charles Walwyn. It is bestowed each year upon a business entity based in Antigua and Barbuda that has extended charitable assistance to…

  • Does Bitcoin have a place in every investment portfolio?

    Does Bitcoin have a place in every investment portfolio?

    Some investors have long believed everyone should allocate some of their portfolios to gold or other commodities. Gold, goes the argument, helps protect your investments from inflation and stock market drops. Now some are arguing the same thing about Bitcoin. “My personal belief is allocating to Bitcoin is a logical approach and should have a…

  • WestJet halts Boeing 737 Max jet before takeoff after warning light in cockpit

    WestJet halts Boeing 737 Max jet before takeoff after warning light in cockpit

    WestJet temporarily grounded a Boeing 737 Max jet that was supposed to fly from Calgary to Toronto on Friday after a warning light came on in the cockpit prior to takeoff. Flight 658 was boarded and preparing to take off when a warning light came on. “After a normal engine start, a standard function of…

  • DNA proposes more inclusive approach to development of Cannabis Industry

    DNA proposes more inclusive approach to development of Cannabis Industry

    Economic Diversification is at the cornerstone of the Democratic National Alliance’s policy initiatives for Antigua and Barbuda. It is only through well thought out and purposefully developed policies and legislation that we will cultivate and advance a long-term, strategic, sustainable social and economic national redevelopment plan for Antigua and Barbuda. Given the recent attention and…

  • Antigua and Barbuda plans to reduce fees for residency programme

    Antigua and Barbuda plans to reduce fees for residency programme

    Cabinet Notes: The Cabinet has agreed to make amendments to the Residency Program as it now exists, in order to make it more attractive to foreign-born workers who may not wish to be citizens but who wish to reside in Antigua and Barbuda  lawfully. Currently, the cost of such a residency program is US$20,000. The Cabinet…

  • $325K fee for a cannabis licence in Antigua

    $325K fee for a cannabis licence in Antigua

    Cabinet Notes: Four representatives of that Board were invited to Cabinet to report on the progress made thus far. The Cabinet was informed that 5 applications for licenses have been received thus far, and one provisional license has been granted. The fee for a license is $325,000 and there are to be no waivers, the Cabinet…

  • Over to shareholders for LIAT severance – Antigua

    Over to shareholders for LIAT severance – Antigua

    It’s up to LIAT’s former shareholder governments to foot the bill of outstanding severance payments to severed employees, said Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday as it moves to get the regional administrations to compensate their nationals. In statements from Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting in St John’s, the Office of the Prime Minister said: The Cabinet agreed…

  • All contracts regardless of size will go to tender from June 1

    All contracts regardless of size will go to tender from June 1

    Cabinet Notes: The Procurement Act comes into effect on June 1, 2021, when the Tenders Board Act will no longer be the law. It will require that all contracts, regardless of size, come before the equivalent of the tenders board for approval. The discretion to waive tendering will have come to an end. Three officials from…

  • Social Security introduces new pension payments plan

    Social Security introduces new pension payments plan

    The Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board (ABSSB) has announced the introduction of a new pension payment arrangement as it adopts measures to cope with falling collections. In an official statement Tuesday, the Board said the measure takes immediate effect and will likely last for the next six months. “As we begin 2021, the Antigua…

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]