Antigua Breaking News

Category: Commentary

  • Are people in the Caribbean becoming architects of their own destruction?

    Are people in the Caribbean becoming architects of their own destruction?

    By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States.   He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.  The views expressed are entirely his own) The…

  • Hon. Sir Lester Bryant Bird, National Hero, Antigua & Barbuda

    Hon. Sir Lester Bryant Bird, National Hero, Antigua & Barbuda

    By Makeda Mikael And as he moved Antigua on to our Economic Development and our freedom into the world, our National Hero, Hon. Sir Lester Bryant Bird clearly deserves the fond nickname lovingly given to him by his constituents and the island at large, Giant Malt! A giant in his athletic 6’4″ frame he towered…

  • Anti-vaxxers’ attempted assassination of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves — Buried Caribbean democratic innocence with a ‘brick’?

    Anti-vaxxers’ attempted assassination of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves — Buried Caribbean democratic innocence with a ‘brick’?

    By Arvel Grant — Political and current Affairs Analyst When I read Reuters’ report of this tragic attempt on the life of the Vincentian Prime minister,  I was stunned by the negative global effect which this act of brutishness could have on our civilization and our leaders’ attempt to combat the COVID pandemic. Those: Politicians,…

  • Indigenous banks fail to Know Your Customer — KYC

    Indigenous banks fail to Know Your Customer — KYC

    Indigenous banks have time only for their expatriate customers whom they don’t know but lend them our grandparents meager savings (accumulated); they loan politically positioned persons, before they would even consider their ordinary customer’s desperate COVID needs. The banks don’t want your land and buildings as collateral, they want cash or guarantees of cash in…

  • In praise of a Black Caribbean woman

    In praise of a Black Caribbean woman

    By Sir Ronald Sanders CARICOM should be proud of the success of a Caribbean woman who was at the center of the effort to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean. Dominican born Dr Carissa Etienne, the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), deserves the greatest admiration and respect of…

  • CARICOM the only organisation commanding wide trust in Haiti’s crisis

    CARICOM the only organisation commanding wide trust in Haiti’s crisis

    By Sir Ronald Sanders Haiti was in a constitutional and political crisis before the assassination of its President Jovenel Moïse in the early hours of the morning of July 7.   That crisis has worsened. It is now explosive unless representatives of the main political parties collectively agree on an interim, broad-based government to prepare…

  • 20 years fighting for a black presence

    20 years fighting for a black presence

    By Makeda Mikael After 31 year developing General Aviation in Antigua St. Kitts and Nevis, I had decided to retire in August 2021 and have been preparing the handover to a young team of Antiguan professionals. I never thought I would  face being unceremoniously challenged in my operations and on my own property by the…

  • Bill Cosby Freed

    Bill Cosby Freed

    By Makeda Mikael Many years ago when black men in film and in Hollywood were a rarity, two dashingly handsome and confident black men swaggered on to the scene and commanded the attention of all America as strong, good men, desired by all women. In no time flat Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte became more…

  • Joint endeavour or collective surrender: resisting global tax

    Joint endeavour or collective surrender: resisting global tax

    By Sir Ronald Sanders The proposal by the U.S. government to establish a global minimum corporate tax is not a remote matter from the lives of people in the Caribbean.  It is a real issue with deep implications for Caribbean economies, and, indeed, for the capacity of Caribbean countries to continue to participate meaningfully in…

  • Banks are only serving the rich in pandemic

    Banks are only serving the rich in pandemic

    By Makeda Mikael When monetary stress enters the economy through any kind of upheaval, be it hurricane, pandemic or otherwise indigenous banks go very silent, lending all their money to the government and the reliable rich, and even though bursting at the seams, their penny customers starve. There are no stimulus packages built for the…

  • OPINION: Is one shot for all better none for some?

    OPINION: Is one shot for all better none for some?

    In my four years in Congress, the phrase I’ve heard most regularly abused is “Follow the science.” Politicians, bureaucrats and reporters in Washington—many of whom, based on their comments, seem to have last attended science class in eighth grade—have a penchant for developing policies and then lecturing the opposition on the “science” that follows their…

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]