Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Abdelh
Published on 2024-03-16 13:27:09
The World Bank has issued a 10-month ban on Swiss boutique advisory firm Africa Enablers GmbH and two of its principals, Philipp Schuller and Stephan Willms, for their involvement in tendering irregularities related to the Somali Core Economic Institutions and Opportunities Programme (Score project). The ban prohibits the firm and its principals from participating in projects and operations financed by the World Bank for the specified period.
According to the World Bank, Africa Enablers and its principals engaged in misconduct by misrepresenting the company’s past experience in bidding for the $28.5 million Score Project contract. The misrepresentations were deemed reckless and fraudulent practices under the World Bank’s Consultant Guidelines.
The Score Project aimed to enhance the enabling environment for private and financial sector development, as well as stimulate private investment and job creation. The sanctions imposed on Africa Enablers and its principals are the result of a settlement agreement where they acknowledged their responsibility for the misconduct and agreed to comply with integrity compliance conditions for release from debarment.
During the initial 10-month debarment period, Africa Enablers and its principals will be ineligible to participate in World Bank Group-financed projects. Subsequently, the sanctions will transition to conditional non-debarment for an additional five months, allowing the company and its principals to participate in projects with specified conditions to ensure compliance with the settlement agreement.
Failure to adhere to the conditions during the conditional non-debarment period will result in a reversion to debarment with conditional release, rendering Africa Enablers and its principals ineligible until they meet the release conditions outlined in the settlement agreement. The reduced sanction period in the agreement reflects the voluntary remedial actions taken by the principals and Africa Enablers, which include revising the company’s experience description, cooperating with the investigation, and refraining from bidding on World Bank Group-financed contracts during the negotiations.
The World Bank’s decision to sanction Africa Enablers and its principals underscores the institution’s commitment to upholding transparency, integrity, and accountability in its projects and operations. The ban serves as a warning to other entities and individuals engaging in fraudulent practices or misconduct, emphasizing the consequences of such actions in the development finance sector.
This information was sourced from The East African publication, highlighting the significance of adherence to ethical standards and guidelines in ensuring the effective implementation of development projects and initiatives.
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