World Bank Debars Africa Enablers GmbH and two Principals

The World Bank has banned a Swiss boutique advisory firm Africa Enablers GmbH and two of its principals from participating in projects and operations financed by the institution for 10 months over tendering irregularities related to the Somali Core Economic Institutions and Opportunities Programme (Score project).

The World Bank, in a statement on Tuesday, said the firm together with its two principals, Philipp Schuller and Stephan Willms, demonstrated misconduct in the bidding for the $28.5 million project by allegedly misrepresenting the company’s past experience in bidding for the contract.

“These misrepresentations by Africa Enablers and the principals were reckless and constitute a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s Consultant Guidelines,” the bank said.

The Score Project was designed to improve the enabling environment for private and financial sector development, and to catalyse private investment and job creation.

“The sanctions are the result of a settlement agreement, under which Africa Enablers and the Principals do not contest their responsibility for the underlying sanctionable practice and agree to meet specified integrity compliance conditions for release from debarment,” the Bank further said.

The sanctions consist of an initial 10-month debarment, during which Africa Enablers and principals will be ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by the institutions of the World Bank Group.

Thereafter the sanctions will convert to conditional non-debarment for another five months where the company and the principals will be eligible to participate in projects and operations financed by institutions of the World Bank Group but on conditions that they comply with their obligations under the settlement agreement.

If they fail to comply with the conditions the conditional non-debarment will revert to a sanction of debarment with conditional release, and they will again become ineligible until the conditions for release set out in the settlement agreement are met.

The settlement agreement provides for a reduced period of sanction in light of the principals’ and Africa Enablers’ voluntary remedial actions.

These include revision of Africa Enablers’ previous experience description on its website, cooperation, and voluntary restraint from bidding for World Bank Group-financed contracts during the settlement agreement negotiations.