This archive report was first published on 14 July 2019.
On July 10, 2019, the World Bank announced the debarment of Universal for General Construction and Trading Company, a South Sudan-based construction and general trade company, for 15 months.
The company was sanctioned over allegations of corruption while undertaking the Uganda Teacher and School Effectiveness Project, a $33 million project financed by the Global Partnership for Education through the World Bank.
The project aimed to improve primary education standards in Uganda by constructing classrooms, improving teacher effectiveness, and providing access to water and sanitation facilities in 138 schools across 31 districts.
However, the company was alleged to have used an undeclared agent to prepare a false certificate for a bid on a school construction component of the project, which substantially and falsely inflated a prior contract's true value.
At the same time, the World Bank announced a 24-month sanction of India-based SAI Consulting Engineering Ltd over alleged fraud in three projects in Africa.
