OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project: External Audit Services

OECS Countries - P157715 - OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project - KN-ECPCGC-156385-CS-LCS

Country: OECS Countries

Project Id: P157715

Project Name: OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan/Credit/TF Info.: IBRD-88830

Notice Version No.: 0

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

St. Kitts

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project (P157715)

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: External Auditors Services

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-156385-CS-LCS

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The Government of St Kitts and Nevis is also providing co-financing towards the cost of establishing and capitalizing of a partial credit guarantee scheme under the same Project.  Parts of the financings will be applied to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consulting services (“the Services”) include is to serve as the ECPCGC’s external Auditor for the period April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 and 2021 and 2022.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest and can be obtained at the address given below.

The project was negotiated on June 23,2016, approved on July 5, 2018 and signed on September 28, 2018.  The Legal Agreement with the Bank includes a requirement for the accounts of ECPCGC to be audited annually and the audit report is to be submitted to the World Bank by ECPCGC.

The ECPCGC is required by law, Article 36 of the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation Agreement 2017, to have an annual audit of financial statements, and these accounts be presented no later than 90 days after the end of the financial year.

The audit will make adequate disclosures on financings provided by all the agencies funding the ECPCGC

The ECPCGC 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:

• A background of the firm, including years in business, number of employees, and industry specialty
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Auditing Standards as defined by the IASB
• License to practice in the OECS territories
• Liability insurance
• Audit of firms in the financial sector over the past 3 years

Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

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” July, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Least Cost Selection (LCS) method set out in the clause 7.6 of World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours of 08:00 to 17:00.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below by e-mail) by February 17, 2020

ECPCGC

Attn: Bernard Thomas

Bird Rock

Basseterre, St. Kitts

Tel: 869-466-8251

E-mail: bthomas@ecpcgc.org