External audit services for the Mais Oportunidades and Digital Governance projects — Ministry of Finance, Republic of Mozambique

REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

National Directorate of Treasury and Financial Cooperation

ACCESS TO FINANCE & ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES PROJECT: MAIS OPORTUNIDADES

Project Implementation Unit

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

AUDIT OF BANK-FINANCED PROJECTS IN MOZAMBIQUE, FY 2025 -2027

Country: Mozambique

Grant No: Credit IDA-72780, Project No. P178658

Assignment Title: Audit of Bank-Financed Projects in Mozambique, FY 2025 -2027

Reference No: MZ-MEF-DNT-531274-CS-QCBS

• The Government of Mozambique (GoM), through the Ministry of Finance (MF) and has received funding from the World Bank toward the cost of the Mozambique: Access to Finance & Economic Opportunities Project (Mais Oportunidades) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

• The Consulting Services (“the Services”) include the audit of the projects in accordance with ISA\ promulgated by the IFAC, and will include such tests and auditing procedures as the auditor will consider necessary under the circumstances. Special attention should be paid by the auditor as to whether the:

• World Bank financing (and all external financing where the World Bank is not the only financier) has been used in accordance with the conditions of the relevant financing agreement, with due attention to economy and efficiency, and only for the purposes for which the financing was provided.

• Counterpart funds have been provided and used in accordance with the relevant financing agreements, with due attention to economy and efficiency, and exclusively for the purposes for which they were provided.

• Goods, works and services financed have been procured in accordance with the relevant financing agreements including specific provisions of the World Bank Procurement Policies and Procedures.

• All necessary supporting documents, records, and accounts have been maintained in respect of all project activities, including expenditures reported using Statements of Expenditure (SOE) or Interim Unaudited Financial Statements (IFS) methods of reporting. The auditors are expected to verify that the respective reports issued during the period were in agreement with the underlying books of account.

• Designated Accounts (DA) have been maintained in accordance with the provisions of the relevant financing agreements and disbursement and financial information letters; and funds disbursed out of the Accounts were used only for the purpose intended in the financing agreements.

• National laws and regulations have been complied with, and the financial and accounting procedures approved for the project (e.g. operational manual, financial procedures manual, etc.) were followed and used.

• Financial performance of the project is satisfactory.

• Assets procured from project funds exist and there is verifiable ownership by the implementing agency or beneficiaries in line with the financing agreement.

• Ineligible expenditures included in withdrawal applications are identified and reimbursed to the DA. These should be separately noted in the audit report.

• In complying with ISA, the auditor is expected to pay particular attention to the following matters:

• Fraud and Corruption: Consider the risks of material misstatements in the financial statements due to fraud as required by ISA 240: The Auditor’s Responsibility to Consider Fraud in an Audit of Financial Statements. The auditor is required to identify and assess these risks (of material misstatement of the financial statements) due to fraud, obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence about the assessed risks; and respond appropriately to identified or suspected fraud.

• Laws and Regulations: In designing and performing audit procedures, evaluating and reporting the results, consider that noncompliance by the implementing agency with laws and regulations may materially affect the financial statements as required by ISA 250: Consideration of Laws and Regulations in an Audit of Financial Statements.

• Governance: Communicate audit matters of governance interest arising from the audit of financial statements with those charged with governance of an entity as required by ISA 260: Communication of Audit Matters with those Charged with Governance.

• Risks: In order to reduce audit risk to an acceptable low level, determine the overall responses to assessed risks at the financial statement level, and design and perform further audit procedures to respond to assessed risks at the assertion level as required by ISA 330: the Auditor’s Procedures in Response to Assessed Risks.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be provided on request to the following e-mail: [email protected].

• The Ministry of Finance (MEF) now invites eligible 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 (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, etc.). The firm or Consortium selected must be legally registered institutions with the qualifications and experience below.

The shortlisting criteria are:

• The audit firm must be independent of the project and its management.

• The audit team should possess relevant qualifications and experience in auditing World Bank-financed projects and public sector entities.

• Ability to communicate fluently, in writing and orally, in Portuguese is must for the audit team (two members of the team must communicate fluently, in writing and orally, in Portuguese).

• The audited firm should be registered with the regulatory authority of auditors in their respective countries.

• The audit firm should have demonstrated experience of similar assignments.

• The auditor engagement partner should hold a professional accountant (CPA, CA, ACCA, DEC or equivalent membership of an internationally recognized professional accountancy body) with a Master’s degree in accounting, public financial management, finance, or other related field, with at least 15 years of relevant experience.

• The audit manager should also hold a professional accountant (CPA, CA, ACCA, DEC or equivalent membership of an internationally recognized professional accountancy body) with a Master’s degree in accounting, public financial management, finance, or other related field, with at least 7 years of relevant experience.

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” September 2023 (“Procurement Regulations”), 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 Quality and Cost Based Selection method set out in the World Bank Procurement Regulations.

• Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 8:30 to 15:30 hours.

• Expressions of Interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or preferably by e-mail) by 14:30 hours on 13th February 2026.

Ministério das Finanças

Direcção Nacional do Tesouro e Cooperação Financeira

Projecto de Acesso ao Financiamento e Oportunidades Económicas: Mais Oportunidades

Unidade de Coordenação do Projecto

Av. Do Zimbabwe, No. 1374

Maputo - Moçambique

Email: [email protected]