Telecel Centrafrique (IFC-40265)

Countries
  • Central African Republic
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Financial Institutions
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Proposed
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
B
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Voting Date
Jul 31, 2018
Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.
Borrower
NIEL FINANCE & SERVICES S.A.
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Communications
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Amount (USD)
$ 25.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Project Cost (USD)
$ 25.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Bank Documents
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ IFC website

Updated in EWS Jul 13, 2023

Disclosed by Bank Jun 8, 2018

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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

The proposed project involves a mezzanine investment of up to US$12.5 million by IFC as well as a mobilisation of up to US$12.5 million from Parallel Lenders to support Niel Finance and Services S.A. (“NFS” or the “Sponsor”) with funding for the upgrade and deployment of the telecom infrastructure of its subsidiaries, including Telecel Centrafrique, (“Telecel CAR”), the leading provider of mobile services in Central Africa Republic (“CAR”) and its sister company, Telecel Global, an integrated wholesale telecom services provider of international voice, data and SMS services in CAR and other sub-Saharan Africa countries, as well as the refinancing of a portion of Telecel CAR’s existing debt (the “Project”).Telecel CAR is implementing a Capital Expenditure (“CapEx”) program that will enable further digital inclusion in CAR by making quality mobile and broadband services available to previously under- and un- served populations in the country. This will be achieved through the deployment of the necessary telecom infrastructure for the delivery of digital services to the government, individuals and businesses in CAR. Telecel CAR will increase its 2G and 3G sites in CAR from 167 to 197 through new site deployments, site upgrades from 2G to 3G, and the rehabilitation/re-installation of about 20 sites that were destroyed by the civil disturbances. Through Telecel CAR’s sister company, the Project will help in substantially improving the quality and capacity of digital connectivity in CAR by deploying fiber infrastructure for the first time in the country.

Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.
Private Actors Description
A Private Actor is a non-governmental body or entity that is the borrower or client of a development project, which can include corporations, private equity and banks. This describes the private actors and their roles in relation to the project, when private actor information is disclosed or has been further researched.

Niel Finance and Services S.A. is a privately held Mauritius based company.  NFS acts as an investment company holding its shareholders’ interests in telecom operating companies in sub-Saharan Africa.  NFS’s shareholders are Mr. Laurent Foucher, Mr. Nicolas Bourg, Mr. Damush Mohammed and Carat S.A.R.L (wholly owned by Mr. Hugues Mulliez), each with a 25% ownership stake.

Private Actor 1 Private Actor 1 Role Private Actor 1 Sector Relation Private Actor 2 Private Actor 2 Role Private Actor 2 Sector
- - - - Niel Finance and Services S.A Client -

Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

Telecel Global
Malek Atrissi
Chief Operating Officer
+961 1 381 553
matrissi@telecelglobal.com
Ghattas Center, Bank Audi Building Badaro St.,Beirut, Lebanon
www.telecelglobal.com

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF IFC

The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by an IFC or MIGA- financed project. If you submit a complaint to the CAO, they may assist you in resolving a dispute with the company and/or investigate to assess whether the IFC is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. If you want to submit a complaint electronically, you can email the CAO at CAO@worldbankgroup.org. You can learn more about the CAO and how to file a complaint at http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/

How it works

How it works