Owned by 186 member countries and consistently rated AAA/Aaa. IFC aims to achieve our mission of promoting development by providing debt and equity to the private sector, through a range of benchmark and bespoke products.
The project contemplated by Unité Camerounaise Pharmaceutique S.A. (UC-Pharm), a newly created Cameroonian company, is to establish and operate two centers in Douala and Yaoundé, Cameroon’s largest cities, from which it will distribute specialty and generic pharmaceuticals throughout the country.
Environmental and Social
IFC requires that this document is made available through the World Bank InfoShop and to the locally affected community no less than 30 days prior to project consideration by the IFC Board of Directors.
The Summary of Project Information (SPI) provides details of where the ERS has been made available to the locally affected community. The SPI must be sent to InfoShop no less than 30 days prior to project consideration by the IFC Board of Directors.
This is a Category B project, according to IFC’s Procedure for Environmental and Social Review of Projects because a limited number of specific environmental [and social] impacts may result which can be avoided or mitigated by adhering to generally recognized performance standards, guidelines or design criteria. The review of this project consisted of appraising technical and environmental information submitted by the project sponsor. The following potential environmental, health and safety impacts of the project were analyzed:
· land use; · power and water supply; · product storage and handling; · solid and liquid waste management; · CFCs; · general employee safety; and · employee health and benefits.
The sponsor has presented plans to address these impacts to ensure that the proposed project will, upon implementation of the specific measures agreed, comply with applicable host country laws and regulations and World Bank/IFC requirements. The information about how these potential impacts will be addressed by the sponsor/project is summarized in the paragraphs that follow.
This project entails only the distribution of pharmaceutical products, no production or processing is involved. Products will be imported, stored and distributed; anticipated impacts are therefore negligible.
Land Use: Both sites are located in the industrial zones of Yaounde and Douala. The Douala site was a can manufacturing plant, and the Yaounde site was a wine bottling plant. Based on a technical site visit completed by IFC and information received from the sponsor, there is no evidence of past contamination on either site and there is no displacement associated with either of the sites.
Power and Water Supply: Both water and power will be sourced from the national/local grid. UC-Pharm will maintain a backup generator at each site. Fuel will only be stored in very limited quantities in small portable 50 l drums. These will be stored in the concrete floored generator house/shed. UC-Pharm will ensure water provided to staff for drinking meets WHO standards.
Product Storage and Handling: Products will not be repackaged. They will be stored in secure rooms and the premises will be under 24 hour security. Some products require storage at low temperatures. All cold storage equipment will be CFC-free.
Solid and Liquid Waste Management: Given that products are not repackaged or processed, waste generated is minimal and limited to expired products, boxes and domestic waste. Expired products will be sent to licensed pharmaceutical services firms in Cameroon for proper destruction/incineration. These companies will issue certificates of destruction to UC-Pharm. Cardboard boxes will be sold/given to the informal sector for recycling, and smaller packaging material may be burnt on site. Sewage will be discharged to septic/soakaway systems.
Employee Safety, Health and Benefits: Employees will undergo appropriate safety and housekeeping training. The plants will be equipped with powder and water fire extinguishers as well as a hose reel system. Regular emergency training will be conducted to ensure quick staff response. Changing rooms, toilets, and uniforms will be provided on site. Employees will undergo an annual medical examination and an infirmary, visited weekly by a doctor, will be located on site. Wages paid to employees will be as per national standards and the company will make the required national social security payments. In addition all employees will receive a transport allowance and medical coverage.
Local Disclosure: This ERS will be translated into French by the company and made available at the project sites in Yaounde and Douala, and at the municipal offices of Yaounde and Douala. Availability of the ERS at the locations will be advertised in a local/national newspaper in both Yaounde and Douala.
Conclusion & Monitoring
Accordingly, IFC concludes that the proposed project will meet the applicable World Bank/IFC environmental and social policies and the environmental, health and safety guidelines upon successful implementation of the agreed mitigation measures.
IFC will evaluate the project''s compliance with the applicable environmental and social requirements during the lifetime of the project by reviewing the annual monitoring reports (AMRs) prepared for the project covering ongoing performance of project-specific environmental, health and safety activities as reflected in the results of periodic and quantitative sampling and measuring programs. Periodic site supervision visits will also be conducted.
Press-Release
Related SPI
Similar Projects
This Environmental Review Summary (ERS) is prepared and distributed in advance of the IFC Board of Directors' consideration of the proposed transaction. Its purpose is to enhance the transparency of IFC’s activities, and this document should not be construed as presuming the outcome of the Board of Director’s decision. Any documentation that is attached to this ERS has been prepared by the project sponsor or in conjunction with the project sponsor and authorization has been given for public release. IFC has reviewed this documentation and considers that it is of adequate quality to be released to the public but does not endorse the content. The following ERS is disclosed in accordance with IFC's Disclosure of Information Policy that went into effect September 1998.
The map is for illustrative purposes and does not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the World Bank, concerning the legal status of any country or territory or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries. Country borders or names do not necessarily reflect the World Bank Group's official position. In some cases, available project location information is limited to the country of the project's activities. Locations are approximate.