27449 - Zain Ghana

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Environmental & Social Review Summary

Project Number

27449

Company Name

AIRTEL GHANA LIMITED

Date ESRS Disclosed

May 7, 2009

Country

Ghana

Region

Africa

Last Updated Date

Jun 3, 2021

Environmental Category

B - Limited

Status

Completed

Previous Events

Approved : Jun 11, 2009
Signed : Jun 25, 2009
Invested : Sep 29, 2009

Sector

Mobile Telephony

Industry

Telecommunications and Technology

Department

Gbl Infrastructure & Natural Resources

Project Description

The Project consists of the construction and operation of a cellular network in Ghana by Zain Ghana Communications Limited (”Zain Ghana” or the “Company”). Zain Ghana was established when a 75% stake in Ghana’s second national operator, Westel, was acquired by MTC KSC (“the Zain Group”), a leading Middle Eastern and Pan-African operator (formerly known as MTC and Celtel). The remaining 25% of Zain Ghana is held by the Government of Ghana through Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.

Overview of IFC's Scope of Review

The review of this project consisted of a visit by IFC staff to the project site, to meet with and interview Zain Ghana management and to have a first-hand look at operational activities. IFC staff also appraised preliminary technical, environmental and social information submitted by Zain Ghana, and met with environmental and technical staff and management at Zain Group offices in Bahrain.

E & S Project Categorization and Applicable Standard

IFC’s environmental and social due diligence indicates that the principal Performance Standards (PSs) to be applied to this investment are:

- PS1: Social and Environmental Assessment and Management Systems;
- PS2: Labor and Working Conditions;
- PS3: Pollution Prevention and Abatement;
- PS6: Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management; and
- PS8: Cultural Heritage.

No issue relating to community health, safety and security is expected to arise in this project (PS4). Zain Ghana is committed to avoiding sites where involuntary resettlement would be an issue (PS5). There is no potential for impacts on Indigenous Peoples in this project (PS7).

This project involves the development of cellular tower sites. The key issues associated with the project are environmental, health, safety, and social management; construction of towers; labor and working conditions (including employee and contractor occupational health and safety); pollution prevention and abatement; biodiversity conservation; and cultural heritage.

The nature of the company’s operations is such that no major adverse environmental or social impacts are expected to result from the project, and that it will be possible to avoid or mitigate any limited adverse impacts that might result. As a result, it has been classified as a Category B project according to IFC’s Procedure for Environmental and Social Review of Projects.

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

The proposed project will upon implementation of the specific agreed measures comply with applicable standards including host country laws and regulations, IFC Performance Standards, and IFC environmental, health and safety guidelines. Zain Ghana’s plans for environmental and social management are summarized as follows:

Environmental, Health, Safety and Social Management:

Since Zain Ghana took over the operations of Westel, it has committed to continuous improvement of environmental and social management throughout its operations. Zain Ghana has recently established a cross-department environmental and social management team. As a condition of IFC’s investment, Zain Ghana will commit to:

1. Develop improved procedures for managing all its environmental and social risks, impacts and opportunities. These will include procedures for monitoring environmental and social performance, and for reporting on environmental and social issues both internally and externally. To support these efforts, Zain Ghana will work with the Zain Group’s environmental and social management team, and will consider using consultancy services. Evidence will be made available to IFC that all environmental and social risks, impacts, and opportunities are being appropriately managed.

2. Provide appropriate environmental and social training to all relevant staff and management of Zain Ghana.

3. Consider seeking and achieving quality management certification for its environmental and social management processes.

4. Perform environmental and social assessments of potential sites to comply with local standards or IFC Performance Standards, whichever is higher. Assessment and subsequent mitigation measures will account for all relevant issues covered in IFC’s Performance Standards PS1 through PS8.

5. Include relevant environmental and social terms in any agreements with contractors, and monitor compliance with such terms.

Labor and Working Conditions:

Zain Ghana’s policies and procedures will be designed to ensure compliance with all applicable local labor laws and regulations. These policies and procedures will promote the fair treatment, non-discrimination and equal opportunity of its employees, and include written procedures for handling employee grievances. Zain Ghana will ensure that its employees are provided with appropriate personal protective equipment and health and safety training for the type of work in which they are engaged. For all of its offices, operational sites, switching centers, and retail outlets, Zain Ghana will employ appropriate measures for life and fire safety. Zain Ghana will provide regular, repeated training courses in defensive driving to employees as needed.

Zain Ghana will make commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that contractors’ employees who perform work related to core functions of Zain Ghana for a substantial duration shall be provided a safe and healthy work environment, including appropriate training, protective clothing and equipment, and are not below the legal employment age.

Pollution Prevention and Abatement:

Zain Ghana will include conditions in any agreements with contractors that will cover pollution prevention and abatement. As a condition of IFC’s investment, Zain Ghana will develop and implement an action plan to add secondary containment structures around fuel tanks at all Zain Ghana facilities no later than the end of 2010.

The Company will explore the possibility of using solar panels to power or partially power the Company’s cell sites. The use of solar panels would be expected to reduce impacts associated with generators and fuel tanks normally used in such a project.

Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management:

Terrain in Ghana, particularly in rural regions, may contain biodiversity and other natural resources that need particular attention. When Zain Ghana considers developing any site involving such terrain, it will take measures during both assessment and operations to account for all relevant issues relating to biodiversity and management of natural resources covered in PS6.

Cultural Heritage:

Cultural property is among the important assets of Ghana and its peoples. When Zain Ghana assesses potential sites where cultural property is known to exist, assessment and management will be performed of all relevant issues covered in PS7. Procedures will be developed in advance to cover the possibility of any chance find of cultural property at a potential site.

Stakeholder Engagement

Zain Ghana recognizes the importance of community engagement. Upon acquisition of tower sites, Zain Ghana shall consult with relevant municipalities and district assemblies, obtain required authorizations, and comply with local regulatory requirements and IFC Performance Standards. For all aspects of community engagement, Zain Ghana has agreed to develop to IFC’s satisfaction any further procedures needed to comply with IFC Performance Standards, including prior disclosure of relevant facts to community members regarding proposed new sites, as site conditions warrant; and provide for handling and resolving complaints or grievances received from community members regarding any tower site.

**Information on IFC's Policy and Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability can be found at www.ifc.org/sustainability

IFC supports its clients in addressing environmental and social issues arising from their business activities by requiring its real sector clients to set up and administer appropriate grievance mechanisms and/or procedures to address complaints from Affected Communities in relation to environmental and social issues arising from IFC's clients' business activities. Since 2012, IFC's Financial Intermediary clients applying the Performance Standards are required to develop External Communications Mechanisms to receive and review inquiries or complaints from any interested party regarding the E&S risks and impacts of their operations.

For IFC projects that are active or under consideration, individual(s), or their authorized representative(s), who allege they have been or will be adversely affected by E&S risks or impacts arising from IFC's clients' business activities, may submit a complaint to IFC directly for consideration. When receiving an E&S complaint, IFC engages with complainants and works with its clients to find solutions to E&S concerns as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Complaints can be submitted to IFC online at www.ifc.org/escomplaints or by email to EScomplaints@ifc.org.

IFC complaint response is separate from and complementary to IFC’s clients’ project level grievance mechanisms and IFC’s Independent Accountability Mechanism (CAO). Lodging a complaint directly with IFC does not, at any time, restrict access to CAO.

Affected communities have unrestricted access to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the independent accountability mechanism for IFC and MIGA. CAO facilitates the resolution of complaints related to IFC and MIGA projects and sub-projects, undertakes reviews of IFC’s and MIGA’s environmental and social compliance, fosters public accountability for their commitments, and enhances the environmental and social performance of IFC and MIGA.

Independent of IFC and MIGA management and reporting directly to the IFC and MIGA Boards of Executive Directors, CAO helps resolve issues raised about the environmental and social impacts of projects through a neutral, collaborative, problem-solving approach via its Dispute Resolution function. It also reviews IFC’s and MIGA’s compliance with environmental and social policies, assesses related harm, and recommends remedial actions through its Compliance function. Additionally, CAO provides advice to IFC, MIGA, and their Boards to enhance environmental and social sustainability performance and minimize the risk of harm.

Complaints may relate to environmental and social harm regarding any aspect of the planning, implementation, or impact of a project or sub-project, and can be made by any individual, group, community, entity, or other party affected or likely to be affected by the environmental or social impacts of an IFC- or MIGA-financed business activity.

Complaints can be submitted by any of the following methods:

Online form: available at https://www.cao-ombudsman.org/
Mail/Hand Delivery to: 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA
Voice mail: +1 202 458 1973
Email: cao@worldbankgroup.org
SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal: +1 202 650 2627

CAO receives and addresses complaints in accordance with the CAO Policy, which can be accessed at: https://www.cao-ombudsman.org/policies-guidelines.

This Environmental and Social Review Summary (ESRS) is prepared by IFC to disclose its findings and recommendations related to environmental and social considerations regarding potential investments. Its purpose is to enhance the transparency of IFC's activities. For any project documentation or data included or attached herein, whether prepared by the project sponsor or otherwise, authorization has been given for public release by the project sponsor. IFC considers that this ESRS is of adequate quality for release to the public, but has not necessarily independently verified all of the project information therein.
It is distributed in advance of IFC Board of Directors' consideration and may be periodically updated thereafter. Board dates are estimates only and this document should not be construed as presuming the outcome of the Board Directors’ decision. The following ESRS is disclosed in accordance with IFC's Access to Information Policy (AIP).

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.

Projects

Environmental & Social Review Summary

Project Description

Overview of IFC's Scope of Review

E & S Project Categorization and Applicable Standard

Identified Applicable Performance Standards

Environmental and Social Categorization and Rationale

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Engagement

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