Category: Commentary

  • US Mid-term elections: a defining moment for the world

    US Mid-term elections: a defining moment for the world

    By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organization of American States.   He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto) Democracy is at stake in the country that…

  • Celebrating our Caribbean-American History and Future

    Celebrating our Caribbean-American History and Future

    By Ambassador Linda Taglialatela On a rainy Monday just over a month ago, Congresswomen Barbara Lee from Oakland, California and Robin Kelly of Chicago, Illinois visited Vauxhall Primary School.  The school was the first educational institution Shirley Chisholm attended nearly 100 years ago. CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP. Chisholm was the first black…

  • Will Summit of the Americas fulfil CARICOM’s goals?

    Will Summit of the Americas fulfil CARICOM’s goals?

    By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organisation of American States.   He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto)  Next week’s Summit of the Americas, being hosted by the…

  • Op-Ed: Trinidad and Tobago current situation on LGBTI Human Rights

    Op-Ed: Trinidad and Tobago current situation on LGBTI Human Rights

    By Nicole Dookie The fear of being beaten, robbed, tortured or even killed continues to reside in the minds of many individuals in the LGBTI community in Trinidad and Tobago. CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP. With crime escalating, this vulnerable group of individuals are forced to keep their sexuality a secret or flee…

  • The Summit of the Americas – wise heads should prevail

    The Summit of the Americas – wise heads should prevail

    By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organisation of American States.   He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto) CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP. The…

  • The rejection of military aggression – a CARICOM achievement

    The rejection of military aggression – a CARICOM achievement

    By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organisation of American States.   He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto) CARICOM states led the way in the Organization…

  • Are Caribbean citizenship schemes at an end?

    Are Caribbean citizenship schemes at an end?

    By David Jessop For most, a passport denotes citizenship, belonging, certain rights, and residence. For others, especially the world’s wealthy, obtaining a ‘stronger’ additional passport than the one  provided by their country of birth has given rise to an international industry supporting their legal sale. Up to now this has been with the consent of…

  • Developing countries also victims of Ukraine war

    Developing countries also victims of Ukraine war

    By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organization of American States.   He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto). In the words of UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres,…

  • Knowing when to fix it

    Knowing when to fix it

    By Dr. Basil Springer There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. – Ecclesiastes 3:1 Just over six months ago while chatting casually with some of my Marketplace Excellence (MPE) colleagues, it was suggested that after decades of a traditional business presentation format, my column should now pivot…

  • Those who damage legal international order must be held to account

    Those who damage legal international order must be held to account

    By Sir Ronald Sanders (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organization of American States.   He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto) Over the last few weeks since the invasion…

  • How serious is the Caribbean about reparations?

    How serious is the Caribbean about reparations?

    By Sir Ronald Sanders  (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS.  He is also Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.   The views expressed are his own)  On March 25, the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS),…

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]