REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
The Gambia
ECOWAS-REGIONAL ELECTRICITY ACCESS PROJECT (ECOWAS – REAP)
Loan No./Credit No./ Grant No.: IDA/ D4080
Assignment Title: External Auditor for ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project
Reference No.: GM-NAWEC-153220-CS-LCS
The ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP) funded by the World Bank aims to increase people’s access to reliable energy services, which is one of the major challenges in the ECOWAS region towards the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP) and intends to use part of the fund to recruit an audit firm for the audit of the financial statements. It builds on the ECOWAS Rural and Peri-Urban Electrification Master Plan, designed to meet the short- and medium-term needs of the Member States in terms of access to electricity as well the regional interconnection projects funded by the World Bank under the ECOWAS Power Generation and Transmission Master Plan implemented by WAPP.
The proposed project which is the first phase in a series of projects (SOP) will provide access to 1.1 million people in Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and The Gambia. The project will finance the expansion of medium- and low-voltage networks from the high-voltage substations of the Gambia River Basin Development Organization (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Gambie, OMVG) and Senegal River Basin Development Organization (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Sénégal, OMVS) to transform their power sectors and enable them to achieve their common objective of delivering more power to more consumers.
The project includes 3 components:
- Component 1: Component 1: Design, supply, and installation (DSI) of electricity distribution infrastructure
- Component 2: Supervision of the construction and technical advisory services under component 1 of the Project
- Component 3: Program Management and Technical Assistance
The consulting services (“the Services”) include providing assistance to National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) in the following main areas for each auditing period: The objective of the audit of the Project financial statements (PFSs) is to enable the auditors to express an independent professional opinion on the financial position of the Project as at the end of each fiscal year; and of the income and expenditure for the accounting period ending on that end. The project’s books of account provide the basis for preparation of the financial statements and are established to reflect the financial transactions in respect of the project.
- Auditing of the Project Financial Statements (PFS) of ECOWAS-REAP in accordance with International Accounting Standards (IAS) and World Bank requirements;
- Verification of Statement of Expenditures (SOE) and unaudited Interim Financial Reports (IFR);
- Review of Designated project account activities;
- Preparing Audit Report for ECOWAS-REAP, which will include audit opinion and address, inter alia, issues of fraud and corruption, compliance with laws and regulations, governance and risks;
- Preparing Management Letter.
The total audit engagement is for a period of 3 years to review the accounts for the following accounting period:
First period will be from July 2019 to December 2020 then the period ending December 2021 and December 2022.
National Water and Electricity Company now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are:
The interested consulting firm should have (as single company or jointly if associated with other companies):
-At least 5 years of experience in the area of auditing in accordance with IAS;
-Experience in auditing of at least one project financed by the World Bank within the last five years;
-A firm should have successfully implemented (completed) at least 1 contracts of similar nature and complexity in the past 5 years in developing countries;
-A firm should be registered with Gambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (GICA) and have necessary up-to-date permits to perform auditing services in The Gambia.
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” dated July 2016 and revised November 2017 and August 2018 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub consultancy to enhance their qualifications.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Least- Cost-Based Selection (LCS) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by March 31st, 2020.
National Water and Electricity Company
PIU-GAMBIA
Attn: Haddy Njie, Project Coordinator
53 Mamadi Maniyang Highway
Kanifing, K.M.C.
P.O. Box 609, Banjul
The Gambia
Tel: (+220) 4376607 / 4376608
Fax: (+220) 4375990
E-mail: hnjie@nawec.gm, mfsanyang@nawec.gm