REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTANCY SERVICES)

Nigeria

Streamlining Tax, Revenue Management and Digitalization of Customs Administration in 5 ECOWAS Countries (Multinational (Liberia, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone and The Gambia) Grant No: 5900155015701 And Project for Digitisation of Government Payments in the Mano River Union (MRU) – Liberia Grant No: 5900155016195

 

 

 

Assignment Title : Consultancy to Provide Management Services to the Project Streamlining Tax, Revenue Management and Digitalization of Customs Administration in 5 ECOWAS Countries (Multinational (Liberia, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone and The Gambia) and the Project for Digitisation of Government Payments in the Mano River Union (MRU) – Liberia (DIGIGOV)

The ECOWAS Commission has received financing from the African Development Bank “AfDB” Transition Support Facility (TSF) Pillar III resources toward the cost of technical assistance and capacity building for Customs Administrations in Liberia, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone and the Gambia under the project called: streamlining tax, revenue management and digitalization of customs administrations in 5 ECOWAS States, and for the project called: digitalization of government payments in the Mano River Union (MRU) – Liberia.

The project intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The specific objective of the Project is to enhance streamlining of Customs taxes and revenue management functions, digitization, electronic transit management, automation of customs services and upgrading of information systems platforms, and focuses on four key areas: (i) technical assistance; (ii) upgrading and modernization of customs information technology infrastructure; (iii) migration to modern customs conventions; (iv) transit management and adherence to established trade liberalization protocols.

In line with the specific objectives identified above, the project streamlining tax, revenue management and digitalization of customs administrations in 5 ECOWAS States has three components :

  1. Component 1: Technical assistance in Transit Management ;
  2. Component 2: Upgrading of the Automated Systems for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) ;
  3. Component 3: ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme.

The DIGIGOV project aims to: (i) establish a digital payments ecosystem, capable of supporting all types of mass payments to ensure the transparency, security and optimisation of public resource management; (ii) allow tax and customs administrations and other government bodies, through digitisation and automation, to improve public resource management effectiveness and efficiency as well as transparency encourage the financial inclusion of vulnerable segments of the population by promoting G2P and P2G payments and providing meaningful financial education; and (iii) develop the population’s tax compliance through digital channels and contribute to the formalisation of VSE primarily operating in the informal sector.

The DIGIGOV project has two main components, in addition to coordination, management and monitoring and evaluation :

  1. Component 1: Creation of an enabling environment for the digitalization of mass payments ;
  2. Component 2: Protection of target populations and implementation of a secure payment solution.

The ECOWAS Commission, through the Directorate of Customs Union and Taxation, is the executing agency for the Programme and intends to apply part of the agreed amount for this grant payment under the contract for consultancy services to provide a range of project management services for the effective implementation of the project.

The services (“the Services”) included under this project entail provision of project management services and backstopping support to the Directorate of Customs Union and Taxation of the ECOWAS Commission to ensure sustainability of the project. The TA team will consist of four (4) experts in the following areas:

Coordinator, Procurement Specialist, Accountant, M&E Specialist.

The assignments under the different TA components will run concurrently and the implementation period of this consultancy services is 24 months.

The ECOWAS Commission now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing these Services. Interested firms must provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.). Consultants may constitute joint ventures to enhance their chances of qualification.

Eligibility criteria, establishing the shortlist and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the African Development Bank’s “Rules and Procedures for the use of Consultants” May 2008 revised July 2012, which is available on the Bank’s website at http://www.afdb.org. Borrowers are under no obligation to shortlist any consultant who expresses interest.

The shortlisting criteria, based on Qualitative Assessment methodology, are :

  1. Core Business of the firm and Number of Years in Business ;
  2. Technical and Managerial Organization of the Firm ;
  3. Description of Similar Assignments ;
  4. Experience in Similar Conditions ;
  5. Availability of Appropriate Skills among Staff or within the firm.

A Consulting firm will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Banks’ Rules and Procedures for the use of Consultants.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours, i.e. from 0900 to 1600 hours (GMT) on working days.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below by e-mail by 22 January 2021 @ 4:00pm local time and mention “Consultancy to Provide Project Management Services for the Project Streamlining Tax, Revenue Management and Digitalization of Customs Administrations in 5 ECOWAS Countries; and Digitisation of Government Payments in the Mano River Union (MRU) – Liberia”.

Mr. SALIFOU TIEMTORE

DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMS UNION & TAXATION

ECOWAS HEADQUARTERS (ANNEX)

RIVER PLAZA & MALL

ABOGO LARGEMA STREET

ADJACENT DHL EXPRESS

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

EMAIL : [email protected]

TEL : +234-8056267990 / +234-8136650784