Antigua Breaking News

Category: Commentary

  • Leaders lambast regional judges & lawyers in a most unusual & surprise attack

    Leaders lambast regional judges & lawyers in a most unusual & surprise attack

    By Audley Phillip I listened to soundbites coming out of the recent Heads of Government meeting that just ended in Trinidad. The blatant attack on the judiciary by the most unlikely sources, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados and Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent & The Grenadines, for among other  things, the granting…

  • The Prime Minister and the Attorney General must go

    The Prime Minister and the Attorney General must go

    By Bobby St. John Last week’s High Court ruling that a 2017 law stripped the police of its authority to pursue criminal prosecutions without the approval of the Director of Public Prosecutions has plunged the criminal justice system in Antigua and Barbuda into a hot mess for which the Gaston Browne regime is fully responsible.…

  • Vacancy: Leadership to unite the global South

    Vacancy: Leadership to unite the global South

    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) I was…

  • The Digital Banking Revolution: Delivering Financial Literacy Tools to Help Customers Achieve Their Goals

    The Digital Banking Revolution: Delivering Financial Literacy Tools to Help Customers Achieve Their Goals

    Technology is driving a surge in new banking products and services that help customers better manage their money. Typically during the four-day Easter weekend, two back-to-back bank holidays would present significant challenges for personal and business banking.  But with digital banking tools, many transactions can still be completed although branch offices are closed. As part of…

  • Caribbean aviation of the future

    Caribbean aviation of the future

    By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert Just imagine. A small island, or a short runway, or just a resort with ample open space. Out of the blue sky comes an airplane and lands right there, like a helicopter, and brings forty passengers. You will think that this is not just imagination, but rather hallucination pure. It would…

  • Mature response from Guyana at ICJ victory over Venezuela

    Mature response from Guyana at ICJ victory over Venezuela

    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) Guyana has…

  • The Week That Was & What A Week It Was – The Story Of The Continued Exploitation Of The West Africans

    The Week That Was & What A Week It Was – The Story Of The Continued Exploitation Of The West Africans

    By Audley Phillip Last week, most of us woke up to the news that a boat moving passengers from Antigua to the USVI had capsized and a number of its passengers were missing.  Speculation was rife  about the identity of the passengers but soon confirmation came that the majority of the passengers on that ill-fated boat were…

  • DENNIS FRIDAY: Taxi driver & tourism ambassador extraordinaire

    DENNIS FRIDAY: Taxi driver & tourism ambassador extraordinaire

    By Audley Phillip I just learned of the passing of my dear and remarkable friend Mr. Dennis Friday, also known as  The Iceman to many. He was a taxi driver and an entrepreneur and many would remember the liquor store and souvenir shop he once operated on lower St. Mary’s Street in St. John’s. My first involvement with Mr Friday was…

  • UN climate justice success should encourage small states to act together

    UN climate justice success should encourage small states to act together

    By Sir Ronald Sanders  Efforts by small states to seek justice for damage and existential threats to their countries, caused by the world’s major environmental polluters, moved a step further at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on March 29. By consensus, the UNGA adopted a resolution seeking an International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory…

  • Development crisis threatens Small States

    Development crisis threatens Small States

    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…

  • Can political parties agree a social contract for national progress?

    Can political parties agree a social contract for national progress?

    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)  Authoritative international bodies –…

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]