Early Warning System

Countries

Tunisia

Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.

Financial Institutions

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.

Project Status

Approved

Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.

Bank Risk Rating

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

Dec 5, 2023

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

Compagnie Generale des Industries Alimentaires - COGIA SA

A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.

Sectors

Agriculture and Forestry
Industry and Trade

The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.

Investment Type(s)

Loan

The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.

Investment Amount (USD)

$ 12.79 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.
Currency conversion note:
Bank reported 40
Converted using 2023-12-05 exchange rate.

Project Cost (USD)

$ 12.79 million

Bank Documents

Primary Source

Original disclosure @ EBRD website

Updated in EWS Mar 9, 2024

Disclosed by Bank Dec 6, 2023

Contribute Information
Can you contribute information about this project?
Contact the EWS Team

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.

According to the Bank’s website, the project consists of the provision of up to TND 40,000,000 working capital loan to COGIA to support its olive oil procurement and bottling operations in Tunisia. The Borrower is one of the few leading olive oil companies in Tunisia mainly focusing on export of bottled olive oil, and 100% owned by one of the leading agribusiness groups in the MENA region, IFFCO group, headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Project supports a strong international sponsor with a positive spill-over effect to primary agriculture, and demonstration effect to other companies in the Tunisian olive oil sector. Through expansion of the olive oil sourcing activity and the focus on exports of bottled olive oil, the Project will lead to enhanced backward linkages to local olive oil mills and farmers, as well as contribute to the development of the "Made in Tunisia" brand and create value in a sector which remains dominated by bulk exports.

Early Warning System Project Analysis

For a project with severe or irreversible impacts to local community and natural resources, the Early Warning System Team may conduct a thorough analysis regarding its potential impacts to human and environmental rights.

Categorised B (2019 ESP) and Low/Medium E&S Risk. The provision of short-term working capital to COGIA, an existing Client of the Bank, is not associated with any new environmental or social risks or impacts. Due diligence for this transaction comprised a review of the Company's annual reports, and a review of the Company's progress with implementation of the previously-agreed environmental and social action plan (ESAP) under the existing exposure.

Investment Description

Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Provision of up to TND 40,000,000 working capital loan to COGIA to support its olive oil procurement and bottling operations in Tunisia.

Private Actor 1	Private Actor 1 Role	Private Actor 1 Sector	Relation	Private Actor 2	Private Actor 2 Role	Private Actor 2 Sector
-	-	-	-	Compagnie Generale des Industries Alimentaires	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.

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION

Moez Zid, CFO
mzid@iffco.com
+216 97 696 362
+216 73 306 266
Compagnie Generale des Industries Alimentaires - COGIA SA Route de Moureddine, km 3.5, Sousse, Tunisia, 4000

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can request information by emailing: accessinfo@ebrd.com or by using this electronic form: https://www.ebrd.com/eform/information-request

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF EBRD

The Project Complaint Mechanism (PCM) is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the PCM, it may assess compliance with EBRD's own policies and procedures to prevent harm to the environment or communities or it may assist you in resolving the problem that led to the complaint through a dialogue with those implementing the project. Additionally, the PCM has the authority to recommend a project be suspended in the event that harm is imminent.

You can contact the PCM at: pcm@ebrd.com or you can submit a complaint online using an online form at: http://www.ebrd.com/eform/pcm/complaint_form?language=en

You can learn more about the PCM and how to file a complaint at: http://www.ebrd.com/work-with-us/project-finance/project-complaint-mechanism.html