The World Bank debarred a Canadian agricultural equipment distribution company Wednesday for 30 months for fraud involving a project in Afghanistan.
MTZ Equipment Ltd. (MTZ) is ineligible to participate in World Bank-financed projects during the 30-month debarment.
The company knowingly submitted a bid with a false bid guarantee and didn’t ultimately win the contract, the World Bank said.
The $41 million World Bank funded project was designed to improve Afghanistan’s agricultural productivity by increasing water use efficiency.
The World Bank has debarred fewer than a dozen Canadian companies. In 2013 it debarred Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin for ten years. The debarment also covered about 100 SNC-Lavalin affiliates.
MTZ was founded in Minsk, Belarus and employs over 30,000 people, according to its website.
As a condition of the settlement, MTZ acknowledged responsibility and committed to continue to fully cooperate with the World Bank Group Integrity Vice Presidency.
Wednesday’s debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.
A list of all World Bank debarred entities and individuals is here.
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