Invoicing

Invoicing is an essential part of our relationships with suppliers, and we are committed to making this process clear, efficient, and compliant with current regulations.

VAT, Exclusive Contractor, Withholding Tax:

SimFer S.A. and Simfer Infraco Guinée S.A. are exempt from VAT during the construction phase

These two entities are exempt from VAT during the construction phase in accordance with Article 9.3 of the Bipartite Adjustments Simfer S.A. and Article 2.1 of Annex 2 to the Co-Development Agreement ratified by a law dated February 3, 2024. Therefore, all invoicing must be stated as excluding tax (HT). SimFer SA will comply with all tax obligations, including withholding tax on payments in accordance with applicable law.

Rio Tinto Guinea is subject to common law.

Rio Tinto Guinea is subject to common law and is therefore legally liable for all applicable withholding taxes on third-party payments. Thus, all supplier payments will be made in accordance with the current general tax code.

Unpaid Invoices :

After submitting your invoices to [email protected] or via the SBN (Ariba Supplier Business Network) system, several factors could lead to payment delays. Please ensure your invoice complies with requirements and is submitted on time to minimise this risk.

A compliant invoice must meet the following requirements:

Invoices must be in acceptable file formats (including PDF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, TXT).
The purchase order number (“PO”) must be clearly indicated on the first page of the invoice – make sure the purchase order and its number are clearly marked, otherwise the invoice will be rejected.
To be valid for submission, an invoice must include an up-to-date tax office registration number renewed annually, along with the VAT key, if applicable.
Invoices must include the correct name and address of the billing company, in accordance with the purchase order.
Ensure the correct entity is specified on the invoice (e.g., SimFer S.A., Rio Tinto Guinée S.A., SimFer Infraco Guineée S.A., etc., and not Rio Tinto or Rio Tinto SimFer) as it determines contractual terms related to taxes, payments, insurance, etc.
The currency must be indicated in accordance with international standards (e.g., EUR, USD, GNF, etc.).
Emails must contain fewer than 10 attachments.
The size of email attachments must not exceed 15 MB.
Attachments must not be contained in a .zip file.
The email body and attachments must not contain embedded objects (e.g., in Outlook signatures).
Different invoices must be sent as separate documents, i.e., do not include multiple invoices in a single document.
Attachments must not be password-protected or corrupted.

Our system will send an acknowledgment of receipt. Invoices that do not follow these guidelines may be lost or rejected and may potentially cause a delay in payment.

For any questions regarding your invoices, please contact: [email protected].

Payment Terms:

The payment terms define the conditions under which the invoice will be settled and are specified in your purchase order. Companies registered in Guinea and whose majority shareholders are Guinean (>51%) are eligible for 15-day payment terms.

Mobilization Fees:

For mobilisation fees, when sending the proforma invoice, the supplier must not add tax on advance payments for services. It will be applied upon receipt of the final invoice, according to the applicable tax type.