Consultancy Services To Harmonize Road User Charges (Rucs) In The Tripartite Region

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) received a grant from the World Bank towards the implementation of the Regional Infrastructure Finance Facility project and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this grant to eligible payments under the contract for Harmonization of Road User Charges (RUCs) in the Tripartite Region. COMESA is a regional grouping of 21 African States which have agreed to promote regional integration through trade development and transport facilitation. COMESA’s objectives include sustainable economic development through economic and social progress in all Member States through increased cooperation and integration in all fields of development particularly in Trade, Customs and Monetary Affairs, Transport, Communication and Information Technology, Industry and Agriculture, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources including Gender and Social Development. The Secretariat is based in Lusaka, Zambia.

The objective of this assignment is to carry out an assessment on rates and management of transit charges within the Tripartite region, develop cost models for road user charging, and draft appropriate policy and legislative frameworks applicable to COMESA, EAC, and SADC regions. The consulting services include,inter alia: Conduct a baseline study on road user charging in the Tripartite region, benchmark against best practices, and identify guiding principles. Assess past road user charge models in the region, noting successes and challenges. Develop a harmonized cost model and charging formulas that protect small, landlocked Partner States and align with the WTO TFA and international best practices. Draft a policy and legal framework for harmonized road user charging. Engage stakeholders to validate the outputs. COMESA now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing these services.

Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments) etc. The Shortlisting criteria shall be based on: general experience of the firm; a minimum of ten (10) years of experience relevant experience in similar assignments; and experience in regional or multi-country transport or infrastructure policy assignments. technical and managerial capability of the firm (Qualifications and Experience of proposed Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage). Consultants may constitute joint ventures to enhance their chances of qualification but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture. 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. 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” Sixth Edition, February 2025 setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours (09:00–16:00hours Zambian time).Requests for clarification by email should clearly indicate the reference number and the title of the assignment COMESA SecretariatBen Bella RoadP.O. Box 30051Lusaka, ZambiaAttention: Head of ProcurementE-mail:procurement@comesa.int Expressions of Interest must be submitted in written form on or before 14:00 hours (Zambian time) on 12 May 2026 to the following email address: Tenders@comesa.intwith a copy toprocurement@comesa.int Click on the link below for more details. EOI – RUC in Tripartite Region Final TORs – RUC in Tripartite