Terms of Reference: For the provision of accounting and fiscal services for a PLC in Ethiopia
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now and for the future. Mercy Corps Ethiopia exists to alleviate suffering and poverty by helping people build secure, productive, and sustainable livelihoods. Since 2004, we have worked in rural, peri-urban and urban areas in five regional states - Somali, Oromia, Afar, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples, Amhara, and the capital city, Addis Ababa.
Powering infrastructure in relief settings, where clinics, offices, communications towers, water pumping stations and other necessary services are commonly fueled by diesel generators, represents a substantial economic burden for humanitarian agencies & for the businesses and households located in refugee settlements and host communities. In 2019-2021, Mercy Corps, in partnership with Shell under Shell’s Enter Energy – Ethiopia (EE-E) initiative has been exploring the feasibility of deploying and operating clean and commercially viable energy infrastructures in displacement settings and for humanitarian operations.
Mercy Corps will undertake this effort through the incorporation of an Ethiopian Private Limited Company (PLC). The company, which will registered in the month of January 2022 in Addis Ababa, is composed by two shareholders: a US-based entity owning most of the company, and a minority Ethiopian private shareholder. The corporate capital at incorporation is estimated at 2 to 4 million USD. For the first 12 months since its incorporation, the SPV is not expected to have any source of revenues, and only costs should be accounted for.
Within the framework of its activities, Mercy Corps is looking for professional accounting companies located in Addis Ababa that could support the newly-created PLC for the first 12 months of operations, subjected to renewal. The following services should be provided:
- Provision of expertise for tax regulation specific to the energy sector
- Development and maintenance of financial management systems and procedures
- Provision of part-time accountant for internal accounting and reporting