World Bank blacklists South Sudan company

The World Bank has sanctioned a South Sudan construction and general trade company for 15 months over allegations of corruption relating to the Uganda Teacher and School Effectiveness Project. The East African reports that the $33m project that landed the Sudanese firm, Universal General Construction and Trading Company, in trouble was financed by the Global Partnership for Education through the World Bank to help the Ugandan Government to improve primary education. The grant was intended for construction projects at 138 schools in 31 districts. The three-year project was expected to benefit more than 8m scholars. The company allegedly used an ‘undeclared agent’ to prepare a false certificate for the bid. The certificate ‘substantially and falsely inflated a prior contract's true value’. The company did not ultimately win the contract. The World Bank has also announced a 24-month boycott of India-based SAI Consulting Engineering Ltd over alleged fraud in three projects in Africa.